Picking Up the Pieces
by Ariel.611
Summary: Cell is defeated, Goku is dead, Trunks has returned to his own time, and Vegeta is broken. How will Bulma pick up the pieces while juggling a major corporation and parenthood? Read and find out. Vegebul. Post Cell, pre Buu fic.
1. Chapter 1

Bulma sighed as she glanced up at the sky. Trunks had returned to his own timeline now that his younger counterpart's future had been secured and Goku's memorial service was over. She could hardly believe that the oblivious yet seemingly indestructible boy she'd known was gone, but giving his own life to save the earth and then staying dead to take the target off his planet's back was so much like him she couldn't help the little smile that flickered to her lips. Her infant son babbled excitedly in her arms directing her attention to Gohan who was wiggling his fingers in front of the lavender haired child.

"Hey there champ." she said running her free hand over his mass of inky hair. "How are you doing?"

"Alright." he replied taking Trunks in his arms when she handed him over. "Mom's pretty torn up about it." he said his eye squeezing shut when Trunks reached out to touch his dark brow.

Bulma smiled sadly down at him and squatted down so that she was level with the boy. "That's not what I asked." she reminded him gently. "How are **you** doing Gohan?"

He blinked in surprise and then looked down at the ground. "I just…" he took a deep breath. "This is all my fault." he said in a tone so defeated it made her heart clench. "If I had just finished off Cell sooner. If I hadn't been such a coward at the beginning then dad-"

The blue haired heiress shook her head and pulled both Saiyan hybrids into her arms. "Oh sweetie, don't think that." she said holding him close. "This whole mess is 's fault and no one else's. Never blame yourself. You are a wonderful young man who saved the world."

The ink haired boy shuddered and then began to cry, big fat tears streaming down his face. Bulma's heart ached for the child. He'd experienced so much, too much for a boy his age.

"I don't want to fight anymore." he whimpered. "I'm so tired of fighting." he confessed.

Bulma leaned away a little and lifted his chin so that she could see into his onyx eyes that were so much like Goku's. Yet there was a softness in them that his father had never possessed. The boy had such a kind, gentle soul. He was a protector not a warrior. There was no reason for him to pretend otherwise.

"Then don't fight anymore." she said brushing his bangs out of his face. "The powers you have are your own and no one has the right to tell you how to use them." she smiled and leaned her forehead against his, her baby still babbling obliviously between them. "No matter what you decide, your friends will always stand by you. If you need anything, just fly on over. I'll help you however I can, even if you're just super hungry." she said with a wink.

Gohan's lips quirked up into a little smile. "Right. Thank you Bulma." he glanced over her shoulder to where his own mother was standing with her arms crossed next to Yamcha. "It looks like my mom is ready to go." he said pulling away and handing Trunks back to her. "I'll visit soon I promise." he assured her.

"I look forward to your visit." she replied with a smile stroking his hair once more before he dashed towards his mother and they left hand in hand.

She sighed as she watched them leave and the others soon followed. Trunks fussed a little in her arms and she smiled down at him.

"You must be hungry." she said with a smile. "Let's get you fed and then it's bed time for you young man." she said as she walked inside her house.

:8:

A couple of minutes later, she had a meal made of beef ravioli, steamed vegetables, and apple sauce that looked like enough to feed an average adult human but, Trunks wasn't human. Not completely anyway.

He licked his lips and got that look in his eyes that all Saiyans seemed to get when confronted with food and she chuckled. Once he was thoroughly engrossed with his meal, she turned to look for something for herself to eat and nearly ran into Yamcha who was standing casually in her kitchen leaning against the counter.

"Yamcha! You scared the life out of me!" she exclaimed touching her chest lightly. "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked.

It wasn't a secret that she and Yamcha hadn't been on the best of terms lately. Their breakup had been nasty especially with the media involved and her brief but passionate relationship with Vegeta that had followed and led to the conception of Trunks had put the long time lovers at odds. Though it had been years and she was totally and completely over the one time bandit. She had a sneaking suspicion that he didn't feel the same. Not that it surprised her. She was beautiful, smart, and filthy rich; a deadly combination to try to get over for any man.

"Just checking to see how you're doing." he said moving closer to her. "No one's known Goku longer than you and Trunks left today."

She smiled at the one time desert bandit. "That's nice of you Yamcha." she said touching his arm gently. "I'm alright." she assured him. "Do you want something to eat?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm fine." he said before taking a deep breath. "Look, I just want to say that if you ever need me, I'm here." she opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand to stop her. "I know that things have been rough between us lately but I really mean it. You can talk to me about anything."

"I know." she replied.

He stepped forward and fingered a lock of her hair. "If you ever change your mind about us… I'll be waiting."

"Yamcha…" she said in an exasperated tone stepping away from him.

"I'm just putting it out there." he assured her lifting a hand in surrender. "Besides, after what he did when Trunks…" he shuddered and took a deep breath. "Maybe he's not so bad." he admitted.

Bulma's eyes softened and she nodded. She'd heard about how Trunks had been struck down by Cell and how Vegeta had charged at the monster in a rage to avenge his son. It had warmed her heart and she'd wanted to talk with him about it but hadn't had the chance. He'd arrived right before Trunks left and then blasted off again shortly after.

"Anyway," he said stepping forward and pulling her into his arms in a tight hug. "I'll see you later B."

She returned his embrace and nodded. He stepped away and offered her one more gaze filled with longing before slipping out the doors.

Bulma sighed and walked to the fridge. After inspecting the contents, she pulled out a container filled with crab salad and sat down with a box of crackers at the table and ate absent mindedly as she watched her child eat with speed and surprising finesse that was beyond his young age. Then again, the only person who knew anything about the normal development of Sayan's was who knows where.

She worried for Vegeta. Not physically of course, with Goku and Cell both gone he was now the strongest warrior on the planet. No one could touch him. However, with his rival gone and his son's violent death so fresh in his mind she worried for the state of his mind, his soul.

Yamcha and Tien couldn't understand what she saw in the one time Galactic Mercenary however, she'd come to love him. She'd seen his vulnerability both physically and emotionally and had developed a deep fondness for the warrior. His loneliness had been almost tangible and when her relationship with the man she'd been with for almost half her life fell apart, they'd fallen together passionately.

The sound of bowls clattering to the floor snapped her out of her musing and she turned for look at Trunks who had cleaned his tray of food and was now yawning, his mouth covered in red sauce.

Bulma chuckled and rose from her chair taking her light dinner with her. She put what was left of the salad back in the fridge then tapped a panel on the counter calling a bot to come clean up the kitchen. She reached for a washcloth and wet it down in the sink before using it to wipe Trunks face and hands clean.

"Alright. Off to bed we go." she said taking the child in her arms.

He gurgled in response and snuggled into her chest as she carried him up the stairs. It had been a long exciting day for him and she wasn't expecting much resistance from the child as far as sleeping went. Her prediction was spot on as he fell asleep before they even reached his room. She nudged the door open with her foot and tapped the button that activated the lighted mobile above his bed with her toes. The soft glow filled the dark space and she gently laid him down in the reinforced crib she'd designed for him and covered him with a blue blanket.

"Good night Trunks." she said softly brushing his lavender locks out of his eyes. "Dream without fear my little Super Saiyan, the bad guys are gone and your future is safe." she brushed her lips across his forehead. "I love you. So much." she whispered before slipping out and closing the door behind her.

With a sigh she stretched and tapped a panel on the wall next to Trunks door activating the motion and sound monitors before moving down the hall to the next door that led to her bedroom. She paused with her hand on the door and glanced at the door across the hall. It led to the rooms where Vegeta had lived for more than two years training for the Androids. She wondered if he would choose to stay with the threat over. Honestly, she hoped he would at least for Trunks but if he wanted to leave, she wouldn't stop him. He'd left a precious part of himself with her in the form of their son and that would be enough if he couldn't bring himself to stay.

Turning from his door, she opened her own and stepped inside smiling as a housekeeping bot whirled past her. She'd invented them when she was nine years old and hated doing chores and was thankful every day that she had. She tugged her vest and shirt off and tossed them into a basket near her closet before shimmying out of her jeans and socks as she walked into the bathroom. Deciding a bath was too much effort, she started the shower and walked inside letting the warm spray wash over her.

As the water beat down on her skin, she felt like it was washing away more than the sweat, and grime of the day. If felt deeper than that. Like it was washing away her defenses as the reality what had transpired over the past twenty four hours crashed over her.

Goku was dead. The oblivious boy that she'd plucked from the woods and claimed as her protector and then as family was gone. He'd given his life to protect them and then refused to return to them in order to keep them safe. As visions of his smiling face over the years flashed before her eyes, tears filled them.

"Goku." she whimpered softly.

She'd known him the longest, watched him grow up, start a family and save the world from destruction more than once. The idea of him dying seemed impossible. He'd survived so many things and yet… This time, he hadn't made it. Grief, guilt and regret filled her soul and spilled out in tears down her face.

"You damn monkey boy!" she snarled slamming her fist against the tiled wall of her shower. "How could you die like that?" she whimpered.

Her words brought the face of another Saiyan warrior to mind and her palm flattened against the tile. "Vegeta." she murmured.

She loved him. It seemed impossible to most people, especially Yamcha, but she truly loved the Saiyan Prince. Sure he was cold, arrogant, and hot tempered but to be honest, so was she. He was the only person she'd ever met that could match her in terms of passion and wit. Additionally, she'd seen a side of him that she was positive none of the others, not even Goku had seen. The nights where he stared up at the stars with such loneliness in his eyes that it made her heart ache. The days where she'd have to help him into bed at night he was so exhausted only to find him back out training the next morning. How he held her so carefully in bed.

He was well aware of the differences in their physical strength and even at the beginning of their hot but brief affair he'd always been mindful of that, taken great care not to hurt her. On a few nights after intense lovemaking, he'd relaxed just enough to reveal a little about his past. Those quiet moments, where he laid out his battered and neglected heart to her were the ones that truly made her fall for him. She desperately wanted to heal and hold that broken heart of his. To lavish it with all of the love and devotion she could muster and show him how happy life could really be.

She noticed the water running cool and quickly shut it off and stepped out onto the self warming tile floor of the bathroom. Grabbing a towel, she quickly toweled herself off, brushed her hair and teeth, and washed her face. Content and knowing Trunks would be up in a couple of hours demanding more food, she wrapped her purple bathrobe around her body and stepped out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. She was about to walk over to her closet to pick a pair of underwear and sleeping clothes when the slight breeze in the room informed her that the doors of her balcony were open. Her heart skipped a beat in hope and anticipation.

"You sure took your time." came a rough voice from the corner closest to the double doors.

"I could say the same for you." she replied as her gaze focused on the muscular man standing against the wall with his arms crossed, his brow knit together, and his lips pulled down into a frown.

"The child?" he questioned.

"Sleeping." she informed him. "He had a busy day today."

Vegeta nodded and straightened away from the wall and glanced at the floor. He seemed almost, nervous and she was curious as to why but knew better than to ask so instead she tried to change the subject.

"I heard what you did for Trunks during the fight." she said softly walking towards him. He stiffened slightly and she quickly continued. "Thank you."

His eyes widened and his onyx eyes snapped to her sapphire orbs. "What?" he asked his tone full of disbelief.

"Thank you." she said moving closer to him. "For staying to fight the androids, for helping protect everyone," she gently reached out and laid her fingertips against his sweater clad arm. "For getting angry for your son's sake."

A little tinge of red touched his cheeks and he turned his head. "Bah! I wasn't going to let that overgrown bug get away with something so cowardly." he growled.

Bulma's mouth twitched up into a small smile. "I know." she replied before taking a deep breath. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "I can make you something if you are. Trunks won't be up for a couple of hours." she said stepping away from him knowing he usually wanted his space after any sort of verbal exchange that was emotional.

Her eyes widened in surprise when his hand wrapped firmly around her forearm stopping her retreat.

"Bulma." he said softly his voice rough in a way that made her heart clench.

She turned her eyes on him and found his eyes shimmering with emotion unlike any she'd seen before.

"What's wrong?" she asked wanting desperately to reach out and touch his face.

"What do I do now?" he asked softly. "Kakarot is gone. My chance to redeem my honor died with him. I-" he closed his mouth.

She wasn't sure if he was unsure of how to express how he felt or just unwilling to. Having been around him for so long, she was certain that Goku's death had affected him more deeply than he'd ever dare let on. He'd lost his rival and the last member of his race. Though Gohan and Trunks carried Saiyan blood as well, she knew it wasn't the same. Goku and Vegeta had a special connection that couldn't quiet be explained. They needed one another, almost like they were brothers separated at birth. They balanced one another both on and off the battlefield. With him gone, Vegeta was likely as lost as he was when he was originally plopped on Earth with the rest of the Namekians. Her eyes softened and she made the same decision she'd already made once before. She'd offer him a home there with her. What he had done before and during the Cell Games could be forgiven and right now, he needed a home.

This time, she didn't resist the urge to reach out and touch his face when it came over her and lightly traced the slight indentation of his temple.

"Stay here with me, with Trunks." she offered quietly.

His eyes widened slightly. Clearly that was not what he was expecting. As soon as he realized he'd let his mask slip, he slipped it back on and snorted.

"Of course. The boy will need proper training. There's no way I'm going to have the clown's spawn teach my son the ways of the warrior." he scoffed with his trademark arrogance.

Pleased to see a little of her former lover's confidence back she smirked and nodded. "Of course." she agreed. "Just don't be too tough on him."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and she chuckled moving towards her closet and found herself drawn away from her sleeping clothes and towards the few outfits she'd saved from her younger days. A pink shirt dress with 'Bulma' printed boldly across the chest in particular called out to her and she reached out and fingered the hem lightly before she a sob and giggle tried to leave her mouth at the same time making a strange strangled sound leave her throat instead. Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes as her thoughts returned again to her childhood where she'd fought dinosaurs and robots with the crazy boy she found in the woods.

"Woman?" Vegeta questioned moving to stand inside the massive walk in closet with her. "I distinctly remember you promising me food."

"Food." she repeated rubbing the hem between her fingers. "I swear, that's every Saiyan's first priority." she bowed her head and let out a watery laugh. "Did you know that the first time Goku met me, he attacked my car because he thought it was a monster that was going to try to steal the fish he'd just caught?" she asked.

"It doesn't surprise me." Vegeta admitted moving further into the closet.

"Yeah." she replied. "So I got out and shot him in the head. Luckily for him, you guys are bulletproof."

Vegeta chuckled. "You had nerves of steel even back then didn't you?"

She nodded and fisted her hands in the cloth as she fought back her sobs. "Yeah." she admitted before turning and moving back to where her sleeping clothes were.

She picked a pair of red boy short style panties and an oversized tee shirt with the Capsule Corp logo printed on the front. Moving past the Saiyan, she slipped into the bathroom and pulled both on before walking out into the main living space again.

"Come on your highness, let's see how many egg rolls I can whip up with what I've got in the kitchen." she said with a smile as she headed to the door.

He nodded and followed without a word but glanced at his son's door as they passed. Bulma nearly smiled as she caught a glimpse of Vegeta's features softening slightly but knew better and simply continued down the stairs to the kitchen and quickly plugged in the deep fryer on the counter before pulling the filling for the rolls from the freezer. Since the food was one of Vegeta's favorites, she always kept large quantities of the filling on hand as well as the wrapps even after he went away since he was never a patient man.

She tossed the frozen filling into the microwave to thaw it and pulled six packages of skins from the fridge before quickly filling the rice maker to capacity and starting it. Contrary to popular belief, she was an excellent cook. It had been the only way she'd really had to bond with her airheaded mother, that she loved dearly of course and had been extremely helpful while traveling with Goku in her teens.

She moved to the oven and quickly set it before dumping an entire package of chicken nuggets on two cookie sheets and slid them inside. Though it wasn't the best option, it was the quickest one she had as far as protein went. And no meal was complete without meat. Vegeta had made that loud and clear when he'd first arrived though Goku seemed to feel the same way so it wasn't a shock. The sound of a chair scraping across the floor informed her of Vegeta's arrival and she nodded in acknowledgement.

"It'll take about half an hour to get the first course going." she informed him. "You can watch TV or something while you wait."

"There's nothing on that light box of yours that interests me." he informed her in a clipped tone.

She shrugged. "Suit yourself." she replied. "Although I think there's going to be a marathon of that warrior vs warrior show on one of the channels." she remarked tapping her chin.

"Warrior vs Warrior?" he replied a little hint of interest in his tone.

She nodded as she pulled the thawed out filling from the microwave and started to make her first batch of egg rolls.

"Here on earth we've had all sorts of warriors. The show stacks them up against one another to see which one would be more likely to win in a one on one showdown." she explained. "For example, ninja are warriors who are famous for their stealth, hand to hand combat skills, and ability to use everyday objects as weapons. They came about to fight against Samurai, swordsmen who lived by a strict honor code. Most people think one is better than the other so this show runs a series of tests including bloody recreations of their trademark weapons being used on dummies to simulate the damage they can do and then run a simulation to show what a battle between the two warriors would look like." she explained.

"That sounds marginally interesting." he admitted.

She chuckled. "I thought you'd say that." she said with a grin as she pushed a button to turn on the massive TV in the connected living room. "Now what channel…" she muttered racking her brain for the right one. The sound of her name caught her attention as the loud entertainment channel her mother loved blared to life on screen.

"In other news, Bulma Briefs was spotted today carrying a baby boy. This adorable child is likely the reason we've seen so little of the young heiress over the past two years. There is no word on the who the child's father is as of yet, however there are rumors that Yamcha, Bulma's long time lover and baseball star is the most likely candidate. We've reached out to both the Briefs and Yamcha's representatives but have not heard back from either. Stay tuned in as we go over this couple's rocky but passionate relationship over the years." said the bubbly blonde woman on screen.

Bulma groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose as an image of her carrying Trunks through the front gates of the compound with her head bowed flashed on screen.

"Damn it." she muttered. "I forgot all about the paparazzi today. I should have been more careful." she admitted before changing the channel to the marathon.

She turned back to her cooking and nearly jumped when Vegeta caught her by the arm and turned her back around his dark eyes blazing.

"Do people honestly believe that my son was sired by that scar faced buffoon?!" he snarled.

Bulma blinked and then shrugged gently tugging her arm out of his grip. "They probably do now." she admitted. "That picture someone took today is the first one any of the paparazzi have gotten of Trunks." she replied. "After I found out I was pregnant, I stayed out of the public eye as much as I could. Once Trunks was born, I tried to keep the media from finding out about him because I didn't want my baby's face plastered all over the news and in those gossip rags." she said dropping a basket filled with egg rolls into the hot oil. "Since Yamcha is the only guy I've really been with publicly recently, they assume he's the father."

Vegeta's jaw twitched but he slumped back into his chair and glared at the television screen soon getting sucked in as a battle between a Spartan and a Medieval Knight began to take shape. Bulma laid the first batch of egg rolls in front of him and produced two cups of dipping sauce before turning back to the food she was cooking a little smile touching her lips when a groan of pleasure left Vegeta's throat.

"Your cooking skills have improved." he remarked when he cleaned his first plate.

Bulma chuckled and scooped rice into a large bowl and loaded a second plate with egg rolls and carried them to the table taking the first plate away.

"Trunks is pickier than you." she replied with an easy smile.

Vegeta nodded once and returned his attention to the television.

Twenty minutes later, Trunks let out a wailing cry and Bulma dashed to his bedroom and picked up the child.

"There there." she murmured. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He whimpered and tugged at her shirt and she sighed. "Snack time already huh? Well, you'll have to eat while I cook. Your daddy's home and is starving." she said carrying him into her room.

She pulled on a pair of shorts so that she wouldn't flash the Saiyan prince and then wrapped a baby carrier around her body and set Trunks gently in it. She carried him down stairs and then slipped her breast out from under her shirt and winced when Trunks mouth clamped down on her nipple.

"Gently baby." she murmured softly.

Vegeta turned his attention back from the television and starred as Trunks drank from his mother's breast, his blue eyes studying him with curiosity.

"What is he doing?" the prince demanded.

"Eating." Bulma replied tapping a few keys on a nearby panel to instruct a kitchen bot to pull the chicken from the oven. "That is what breasts are for." she explained.

He frowned. "That looks… Uncomfortable."

She laughed out loud. "It was at first." she admitted. "Now we're both used to it, aren't we baby." she cooed stroking Trunks's round cheek.

When he had drained both of her breasts, Trunks yawned again and Bulma quickly adjusted him laying his tiny body against her shoulder and coaxed a couple of loud burps and several smaller ones from his belly with the patting of her hand on his back. He fell asleep as she carried him upstairs and she laid him down gently and covered him up.

"Sleep tight my little Super Saiyan." she said softly before closing the door behind her and walking back to the kitchen to finish cooking for The Prince of all Saiyans.

He was still focused on the TV screen and she quickly finished up the rest of the egg rolls and set them down in front of him before sitting down beside him with her container of crab salad and crackers from before.

Vegeta glanced at her, studying her face before looking back at his plate. "You should sleep woman. You look exhausted."

"So do you." she countered. "Besides, I haven't had the opportunity to enjoy your company lately."

He cocked a brow at her. "Are you being sarcastic?" he asked.

"Who knows." she replied with a smirk.

They ate in companionable silence for several minutes until all of the food was gone. Bulma cleared away the dishes and stretched before climbing the stairs with Vegeta close behind her.

"Your room has fresh sheets." she informed him as they neared their bedroom doors. "If you need anything, let me know." she said cheerfully.

"Sure." he replied softly.

His eyes which were normally so confident seemed a little dull and it made her heart ache. Acting on impulse she quickly stretched up on her toes and pressed her lips lightly to his temple.

"Get some rest Vegeta." she told him softly before slipping into her own bedroom.

She slid into bed and sighed. A part of her wanted to invite him into her bed but she didn't want to pressure him. She knew he was suffering from the loss of Goku and was simply thankful he'd returned to her house even if it was just because he wanted Trunks to have proper training.

Their relationship had ended when the words 'I love you' had slipped from her lips during their last session of love making. She didn't know if it was fear, or just the desire to stay entanglement free that sent him running from her bed and into the cold vacuum of space, but this time she wasn't going to be as needy. This time, she would only take what he offered and not pressure him with her selfish feelings. As she drifted asleep a thought occurred to her. The gravity capsule hadn't been used in over a year. It badly needed upgrades and new equipment. Perhaps, she could take some time out and create a better training space for him.

 **Author's Note: I apologize, the site had major issues yesterday and some of this story got lost in the chaos of having to delete, repost, and delete again nonsense I tried in order to allow you to read it. I'm reposting it now and hopefully all of the chapters make it. Sorry about this.**


	2. Chapter 2

"All finished." Bulma said with a satisfied smile wiping the sweat from her brow as she stood and glanced around the gravity capsule.

It was officially in working order and she hoped that Vegeta would use it. In the month since his return, he'd change dramatically. He rarely left his room and didn't eat with the family the way he used to. Seeing him so depressed bothered her. She was determined to brighten his mood and if food wasn't cutting it, training probably would.

She strode out of the capsule and into the house stopping to peck Trunks on top of his head as he played with her mother before continuing upstairs. She stopped at Vegeta's door, took a deep breath and knocked.

"Vegeta?" she called. "Are you in there?"

She pressed an ear to the door and listened hard. The television was on from what she could hear but she couldn't make out anything other than that. He yanked the door open and she yelped as she crashed forward into his muscled chest.

"What is your problem?" he demanded catching her before she hit the floor.

"You didn't answer me. I was listening to see if I could hear any signs of life before busting the door down." she informed him with a toss of her hair.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "So you've ascertained I'm alive. Is there another reason you're here invading my privacy?"

She slapped a plastic chip key to his chest, an upgrade she'd decided on to make it harder for Trunks to sneak into the capsule, and cocked her hip.

"Merry Christmas." she said in a chipper voice. "The gravity chamber is up, upgraded, and ready to go. You'll need that key to get in." she informed him.

He blinked and took the key from her and then blinked again. "I didn't ask you to do this." he said. "What do you want from me? Did another visitor from the future show up and predict another catastrophe you want help with?"

"Nope." she replied biting back the nasty, sarcastic reply that wanted to slip out. "I just figured you'd want to do something besides sit on your ass all day. Besides, building combat training bots was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. You could at least test them out for me." she sighed. "I guess if you're not interested, I could send them to Tien or Piccolo. Those guys never stop training."

He studied the key for a moment before nodding to her, pushed her out the door and slammed it behind her.

She smirked as she returned to her room and stripped out of her sweaty work clothes and stepped into the shower. It wouldn't have been visible to anyone else who saw the Saiyan Prince but, she'd seen it. That flicker of fire in his eyes that came with the invitation to any new challenge. All she had to do was wait for him to take the bait.

When she stepped out of the bathroom almost an hour later refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day, she heard the tell tale humming of the gravity room and smiled. It was a step in the right direction and she was immensely pleased with herself for getting him out of his funk, at least for a few hours.

%*%

Bulma groaned as she rubbed her temples, the glossy image on the magazine intensifying the throbbing.

"I'm going to murder him." she snarled.

"Murder? That sounds like something more up my ally." Vegeta remarked sitting down at the table next to her and helping himself to the party sized tray of sandwiches sitting in the middle of the table.

The heiress had learned over the years that having large quantities of food available in easy reach at all times with a Saiyan in training was a must. Few things were more dangerous than a tired and hungry Saiyan warrior. Even Trunks was becoming more demanding as far was food went and was currently munching on a sandwich himself while her mother Bunny worked on dinner.

"They're just rumors." the blonde woman reminded her. "He did what he thought was best."

Bulma slammed her fists on the table. "I don't care mom!" she snapped. "He's only adding fuel to the fire."

Vegeta cocked a brow and leaned over to see what the fuss was about. In big print it read "Baby Briefs father confirmed?" next to a photograph of Yamcha and Bulma standing together on a red carpet. "I love that little boy to death." read quoted words below Yamcha's picture.

"What is this about?" Vegeta asked.

Bulma raked a hand through her hair. "Some reporter ran into Yamcha and asked him about Trunks." she replied. "Ugh!"

The shrill ringing of the phone frazzled her further and she yanked it off it's charger. "Bulma." she said tersely.

"Bulma, have you seen that article?" Came the voice of Sara, her publicist.

"Yes, I've seen it." she replied. "What about it?"

"Well, several news agencies have reached out to us wanting an interview with you to confirm Yamcha is the father." she explained. "I know it's troublesome and you hate doing things like this but all it takes is one interview to shut the rest of them up. It's better for Trunks this way too." she urged.

Bulma's jaw clenched. "Well that's too bad because Yamcha isn't the father!" she snarled.

"What do you mean Yamcha's not the father?" Sara exclaimed. "If he's not, then who is?"

The heiress realized her blunder too late and dropped her forehead to the table. "Shit." she grumbled.

"Bulma! What is going on?" Sara demanded.

"I'm not talking about this now." she replied. "Just tell the news agencies to shut up and butt out of my child's life."

"You'll have to address it sooner or later." Sara reminded her.

"Well I'm not doing that today!" she snapped and then slammed the phone down and stalked into the living room and slammed her fist into the wall wishing she had the strength of a Saiyan so she could feel the dryway crumble beneath her fist.

"What's the problem?" Dr. Briefs asked as he entered the room.

"I let it slip to Sara that Yamcha isn't Trunks father. Now she's foaming at the mouth wanting me to do a press release." she replied.

Bunny walked forward. "It's not so bad." she said with a smile. "Vegeta's a wonderful young man and Trunks is a great boy." she said slipping the toddler a cookie. "Just tell the truth."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Right. I can see it all now. 'I'm here to tell you all that the father of my child is Vegeta! The Prince of all Saiyans! What's a Saiyan you ask? They're a race of intergalactic warriors. Do you remember that guy that showed up a few years ago and blew up a city? He's been living with me and I gave birth to his child before he fought in the Cell Games. Any questions?" she said sarcastically.

"It's all true, so what's the problem?" Bunny asked again.

Bulma groaned and scrubbed her hands over her face. "Mom, just because you're used to insane things like aliens showing up and living among us earthlings, doesn't mean everyone else is." she glanced over at Vegeta who was studying her with rapt attention. "It would cause an uproar. I am **not** going to put Trunks or Vegeta on display to satisfy the public's curiosity."

"If that's what you want dear, that's what we'll do." Dr. Briefs assured her with a kind smile. "It's no ones business but ours."

Bulma nodded and was about to head down to the lab when the phone rang again.

"This better be important." she muttered answering the phone. "This is Bulma." she said into the receiver.

"Hey Bulma, are you able to talk right now?" came Chichi's voice.

"Sure, what's going on?" she asked.

"Well, I haven't been feeling well lately." her friend confessed.

Bulma's brow immediately knit in concern. Chichi was one of the toughest women she knew. If she was feeling miserable enough to confess the she didn't feel well, there probably something seriously wrong.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. "Do you need me to send a doctor up there?"

"No. It's…" she took a deep breath. "Bulma, I'm pregnant."

Bulma's eyes widened. "Well that's a surprise." she admitted. "When did you find out?"

"Today." she replied. "I just… I wanted someone else to know." she finished lamely.

"It's alright." Bulma assured her. "Everything will be fine. Let me know if you need anything and I mean anything." she said firmly. "Send Gohan over if something happens and I'll jet over."

The princess breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Bulma. I just wish that he was here." she confessed.

The blue haired woman nodded. "I know Chichi." she said softly.

"Well, I better go. Gohan will be getting home soon." she said.

"Alright. I mean it though. Whatever you need, just ask. Are you guys coming to Trunks party next month?" she asked.

"Yes. Gohan is really looking forward to it." she replied.

"Good. I'll talk to you later Chichi." she said before hanging up and sighing.

"What did the harpy woman want?" Vegeta asked.

Bulma bent over to pick up Trunks as he pulled himself upright using her pants. "She's pregnant." she replied rubbing Trunks nose with her own. "You're going to have yourself a new friend." she said cheerfully.

"Ugh. Another of the clown's spawn will be running around?" Vegeta grumbled.

"Seems that way." Bulma replied before glancing at the clock. "Crap! It's getting late." she muttered.

"Yeah. You have that speech tonight don't you?" Dr. Briefs said

.

"Yeah. I'll be back before two am, I hope." she muttered.

"A speech?" Vegeta replied. "Who would want to listen to you speak woman?" he asked in a haughty tone.

Irritated and sexually frustrated in the face of the most handsome man she'd ever been with, Bulma's temper reared it's head.

"For your information, I am the heiress to the largest fortune in the world, a certified, bonafide, genius and I'm freaking gorgeous!" she shouted with her fists on her hips. "There are millions of people who would give anything to listen to me speak." she informed him.

He chuckled. "You're nothing but a weak earth woman." he replied with a smirk.

She rolled up her sleeves and stalked towards him. "I'll show you weak!" she growled.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." he said with a sneer. "You'll only hurt yourself."

She ignored his warning and slammed her fist into his chest as hard as she could hissing in frustration when he didn't move even a millimeter.

"Do that again, it tickled a little." he replied.

"Why you!" she growled and hit him again and again until she was panting. "Not fair." she grumbled. "Are you made of rock?"

He chuckled. "Feel better now?" he asked.

She blinked and was startled to find that she did. "Yeah." she confessed.

"Good. I expect a new set of speed bots in return for being your Saiyan punching bag." he informed her.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course." she grumbled before walking upstairs to prepare for her night out.

Since Vegeta's return, they'd slowly begun returning to old habits. Teasing, bantering, and even all out fighting from time to time. Just like before there was tension rising between them. Sexual tension that was starting to drive her a little crazy. She knew he wanted her, he knew she wanted him. Unlike last time however, they now had a child together. For some reason it was holding them both back. She suspected that like before Vegeta was afraid of commitment, of binding ties. She had already made the decision not to pressure him, but it was getting harder every day as she once again became familiar with the sights, sounds, and smells that were uniquely Vegeta.

She slipped out of her clothes and studied her body in the mirror and gently ran her finger along a long puckered line below her belly button where Trunks had been cut from her body. He'd nearly killed them both during delivery and though she was grateful that everything had turned out alright, the scar still made her a bit self conscious. Showing Vegeta an imperfect form made her nervous. Granted, he had more than his fair share of scars as well and she'd never thought ill of them, however, it was different with her own body.

Deciding it wasn't important because there was a chance she and Vegeta would never be intimate in that way again anyway, she went to work preparing for the speech. It was one she wasn't looking forward to. It was put on by one of the board members of Capsule Corporation and though she didn't mind Mr. Duncan himself, his son who was older than her by nearly ten years was a different story.

Twice divorced, Stephen Duncan was a notorious playboy and had set his sights on her after wife number two had gotten sick of his fooling around. Bulma wanted nothing to do with the sleaze ball especially since it was Yamcha's infidelity that had led to the deterioration of their relationship. That and the fact that she knew damn well he was after her father's fortune and position as CEO. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to say no to the invitation to speak and was praying that she'd be able to slip out as soon as her speech ended.

She slipped on a pair of white lacy panties and a matching bra. Deciding to go a little more conservative given who she knew would be there, she pulled a three quarter sleeve mid thigh length sequined sheath dress in gold and paired it with black stockings and killer black heels. She twisted her blue hair into a simple french twist and applied her makeup using metallic shades of rose to bring out her blue eyes and finishing up with a natural looking pink color on her lips to round out the look. She slipped diamonds into her ears, then secured a set of diamond bangles around her wrist and took a deep breath. It was time to go.

With her speech tucked securely into her handbag, she made her way down stairs.

"Mama!" Trunks exclaimed reaching for her. "Ooh!" he squealed in awe as she kissed his cheek but didn't hold him, afraid he'd snag some of the sequins on his clothes.

"I love that dress!" Bunny squealed as she cuddled Trunks. "Your mommy is going to be the prettiest one at the party." she told her grandson.

"She always is." Dr. Briefs agreed with a smile. "Good luck tonight sweetheart." he said kissing her cheek lightly.

"I'm pretty sure I used most of that up the day the androids first appeared." she admitted. "But it's fine. Who needs luck when you've got beauty and brains like I do." she said with a wink.

"You look like one of those strange balls humans dance around in those old movies your mother likes so much." Vegeta commented from where he leaned against the fridge.

Bulma turned and nearly lost her breath. He was shirtless, and beads of sweat were trickling down his sculpted chest down the ridges of his washboard abs towards the spandex shorts that left little to the imagination. She nearly groaned at the sight and resisted the urge to kneel at his feet and lick the perspiration from his golden skin.

"It's called a disco ball." she informed him when she could think again. "Anyway, I'm going to be late. See you guys later" she said before ducking out of the house and into the night.

"Miss. Briefs, are you ready to go?" asked the driver.

She nodded and slipped into the back seat of the sleek black hovercar and leaned back as it took off. Damn him! Why did that alien have to be so damn good looking? It was clear that his new training was doing him good. He was getting back to his old self and she was pleased with his progress. She was just hoping that maybe someday, when the scars of Goku's passing weren't so fresh, maybe they could have a somewhat normal relationship. Well, as normal as a relationship with a formerly homicidal alien could be anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

Bulma took a deep breath as the sleek car pulled up to the modern looking museum where the event was being held and took a deep breath. Though she'd dealt with the media most of her life, tonight was going to be different from all of the others. She was not going to be protecting herself, or her father's company. She was going to be protecting the two people she cared about most. She'd have to be polite, but firm. She could do this.

The door opened and she took the hand of an usher to stand and was immediately blinded by the flashing of cameras and the bright lights that surrounded the red carpet. As always, she recovered quickly, flashed her most endearing smile and walked with confidence and grace down the walkway, pausing when appropriate to pose for the cameras. Several reporters called out to her but she ignored them until she reached the last quarter of the carpet, the place reserved for exclusive reporters, the kind she couldn't ignore. A bubbly looking blonde all but bounced up to her with a grin plastered on her face.

"Bulma Briefs!" The woman exclaimed enthusiastically with her microphone in hand. "It's been such a long time since any of us have seen you at one of these. You look absolutely fabulous by the way. I take it the handsome young man you were seen carrying the other day is the reason why you've been away from the limelight?"

Bulma took a deep breath and nodded smiling back at the woman. "Yes. Motherhood is very time consuming. Spending time with my son is always a top priority for me."

"Absolutely." The woman replied with a nod. "How old is your little man?" She asked.

"Trunks will be turning one soon." Bulma replied. It was better to tell them his name herself than have some lowlife try to dig through her trash or hack her computer network to find it themselves.

"That's wonderful! Now we've been told by members of your camp that Yamcha isn't the father, so who is the lucky man? I see that you came without an escort, is daddy home watching little Trunks?" The bubbly woman asked.

Here it was. The question she'd been dreading along with jabs at her current single status. All well, screw them. Her relationships weren't their business but she would make it perfectly clear that Vegeta was active in his son's life at least.

"You're right." Bulma replied with a nod. "Trunks father is a very private man who cares for his son very deeply. I ask that you please respect that about him and keep the prying to a minimum."

"I see." The young woman replied seeming to catch the small hint of warning in the heiress's tone and then grinned broadly again. "Well I'm sure we'll be able to get the handsome devil in front of a camera one of these days. Thank you for talking with us Miss Briefs." She said with her signature smile.

Bulma nodded flashing a smile of her own before quickly striding down the last length of the carpet ignoring the rest of the reporters. She was only obligated to give one interview and she'd done that. Now all she had to do was deliver her speech, mingle for the shortest acceptable amount of time and get the Hell out of there.

 _# &#&_

Bulma leaned against one of the pillars in the massive display hall that had been turned into a ballroom with a glass of champagne in her hand. Her speech had gone well as expected and now she was ready to go home. Her eyes drifted over the crowd watching as celebrities, business leaders, and the occasional scientist milled around trying to charm themselves into other's pocket books, good graces, and beds. It was all so… superficial. Places like these were the reason she'd taken off during her teens to find adventure, why even now she spent more of her time with aliens and martial arts masters than even her own scientific colleagues. They were far more genuine than those that surrounded her now.

"Hello Bluma." Came a high pitched voice that made the blue haired woman's brow twitch. "Your plastic surgeon is great! I can't even tell you had a baby."

Bluma's eyes flickered to the overdressed, makeup slathered. B list model Megan Olivaro who had gotten this weird idea in her head that she was somehow her rival years ago.

"There was no plastic surgery involved." Bluma replied. "Just excellent genese and a killer personal trainer."

The model glared at her before she smiled again. "Well it looks like Yamcha is all yours since he's the boy's father and all. It seems that you won that round. I wanted to say sorry by the way. I didn't know you two were still together when we… you know."

Bulma snorted and rolled her eyes. The bitch was lying through her teeth and they both knew it. Years ago, the comment might have stung, but not now. Bulma had been with a man that Michelangelo himself would have died to make into a work of art and long after Megan's implants deflated and her modeling career fizzled out, she would still be a certified genius with multibillion dollar company. The little whore didn't intimidate her at all.

"Yamcha isn't my son's father." Bulma replied. "You'd know that yourself if you actually took the time to read the gossip rags you collect. You can have Yamcha for all I care."

"Oh? Then where is the proud papa? Did he take off as soon as he realize how rotten your personality is?" The model fumed.

Ha ha! The little girl was starting to drop the 'friend' pretense? Maybe this party wasn't a waste after all. Bulma loved a good verbal smackdown almost as much as Vegeta loved a physical one. Maybe that's the reason they got along so well. As well as Vegeta got along with anyone really.

"Actually, he's at home taking care of our son." Bulma replied, it wasn't likely true but the look on the model's face made the comment worth it. "He can't stand events like these. Being surrounded by mindless weaklings for hours on end would drive him crazy." She said thinking of her love's favorite words to describe the humans he was usually surrounded by.

Megan's face turned red as she scowled at Bulma who casually took a sip of her drink with a serene look on her face enjoying the model's discomfort.

"Whatever! He's only interested in you because of your money!" Megal snarled.

Bulma laughed out loud at that throwing her head back before she leveled her hard blue eyes at the model again a wicked smirk on her lips. "Oh honey." She sneered. "He doesn't give a damn about things like that. He could bring this entire nation to its knees without money, he doesn't need or want it. He's with me because he wants to be, plain and simple."

Megan stared at her for a moment before she lifted her nose in the air. "I'm going to freshen up." She declared.

"Good idea." Bulma replied. "If you sweat much more your seventh layer of foundation is going to fall right off."

Megan shot her one last death glare and Bulma smiled as she waved her off. Plastic, spastic Megan 0 ; Bluma Fucking Briefs 5. She was the winner of this round. Now she was ready to go home.

She sat her partially drank glass on the tray of a passing waiter and made a beeline for the exit. She caught the eye of her security guard/chauffeur signaling him to get the car ready as she went. He bowed and left the room as she worked her way through the crowd hoping to slip out unnoticed.

"Bulma!" Came a low baritone voice. "Don't tell me you're leaving already. The party has just begun."

Bulma cringed an turned to find Stephen Duncan standing behind her. He was tall, hovering around six feet with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was fit with easily discernible muscles and had a dazzling smile. He was classically handsome and charming but Bulma knew that he was sleaze and a weasel always looking for a way to worm his way to the top with the least amount of work necessary while looking down on everyone around him. She wanted nothing to do with him.

"I apologize." She said with a smile. "But I need to get home. My son is on a strict schedule and we do have an important meeting tomorrow."

"Come now Bulma, don't be like that. Just dance once with me." He pleaded flashing his signature smile as he held out a hand to her.

Unwilling to cause a scene, she sighed and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

"You're quite beautiful tonight." He crooned as he pulled her closer than she wanted. "You can hardly tell you've given birth."

"You're the second person to tell me that tonight" She replied her voice dripping with venom.

"Relax Bulma, I didn't mean anything malicious by it. I was being sincere." He assured her.

'Bullshit.' Her mind snapped even as she continued to dance her eyes flickering to the door where her bodyguard would appear once the car was ready to go.

"You know, I've never seen or heard of this mystery man that fathered Trunks." He said casually. "Some members of the board are curious as to whether you have the ability to run the company effectively considering your son's father isn't anywhere around."

Bulma's eyes narrowed. "Trunks' father is very involved in his son's life. He is simply a private person who refuses to put his life on display for the amusement of others. I suggest you keep your condescending comments to yourself."

"Now if a man of means and status married you and claimed the boy as his own, I'm sure the board would have no qualms whatsoever about your ability to lead the company." He continued as though he'd never heard her.

Bulma's anger flared. Who did this ass think he was!?

"Excuse me. I need to be going now." She said noticing for the first time that he had maneuvered them to the back of the room where few people were and even less were paying attention to their surroundings.

Her instincts honed by years of spending time with Earth's mightiest warriors screamed danger and she tried to pull out of his grip. He tightened his hold and pulled her flush against his body pressing his face to her neck while his hand slid down her back to her behind giving her ass a firm squeeze.

"You're so sexy Bulma. I wouldn't mind marrying you. It would benefit both of us, don't you think?" He purred nipping her ear before drawing his second hand across her chest.

Her skin crawled and her temper flared. She slammed her heeled shoe into his foot and smirked at his yelp of pain. Taking advantage of his distraction, she sprinted away from him meeting her bodyguard halfway across the dance floor.

"Miss Bulma!" He called out taking her arm and leading her from the room. "What happened? I've been searching for you."

"Thank you." She replied as he helped her into the waiting car outside. "You did well. Take me home."

The guard nodded and quickly started the car pulling away from the museum. "Are you sure you're alright Miss Briefs?" He asked.

"No, but I will be." She assured him.

 _#%#%_

They arrived at Capsule Corp and Bulma tipped the man generously assuring him that she would hire him again before she walked inside and kicked off her shoes launching them across the room with force and speed that left one heel embedded in the wall.

Still fuming, she stalked across the kitchen and threw open the pantry. She dug around for a moment and spotted her prize behind a bag of dried beans. A box of mint, chocolate cookies. If Vegeta or Trunks had caught wind of them, they'd have been gone in a blink. This was her emergency stash, for shitty nights likes these.

She plopped down on one of the chairs and ripped open the first sleeve and devoured two before a rough voice startled her out of her seat.

"I was right. There is a wild animal down here. The volatile, blue haired moose." Vegeta drawled as he sauntered inside the kitchen.

"Damn you Vegeta!" Bulma snarled. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

He smirked and crossed his arms. "You should be more vigilant."

"Can it monkey boy!" She snarled. "I am so **not** in the mood! First I had to deal with the nosy media, Then the plastic, Barbie wannabe Megan and her snide comments about my love life. And the final straw was Stephen dick for brains groping me on the damn dance floor!" she nearly shouted.

Vegeta froze his hand that had been reaching for the cookies stopping just inches from his goal. "What did you say?" He asked, his tone a touch dark.

"You heard me!" Bulma snapped back too angry to care about his voice and posture change. "That fucking prick talking about how I'm not suited to run Capsule Corp because I'm a single mother but that he'd be happy to marry me and adopt Trunks to 'save my reputation'." She snorted. "As if I would. Then he felt me up like a teenager trying to get laid on prom night. Sick twisted bastard."

"Who was it?" Vegeta demanded.

This time, the darkness of his tone did catch her attention. She glanced at his face and was surprised by the malice she saw there. Thinking quickly, she tried to play it off as casual.

"It's fine." She assured him with a wave of her hand. "It's not happening. I'm just pissed off."

Vegeta strode over to her and yanked her to her feet his hands gripping her shoulders roughly. "Who was it? Answer me woman!" He snarled.

Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs at the sudden proximity combined with the heat of his hands on her. Why was he acting this way? Her eyes widened when he leaned forward and touched his nose to the nape of her neck breathing deeply.

"Vegeta? What are you-"

"I can smell him." Vegeta snarled softly. "I can smell that filthy human's stench on you. I smell his lust."

Bulma's breath hitched in her throat. Saiyan noses were incredible. She knew that first hand. In fact, it had been Vegeta's nose that had alerted her to Yamcha's infidelity. The memory was as clear as ever even now.

" _Yamcha!" Bulma exclaimed throwing her arms around the former bandit's neck as he walked inside._

" _It's good to see you too B." He replied. "These are for you." He said holding out a bouquet of red roses._

" _They're beautiful!" She said taking them from him and breathing deep. "What are they for?"_

" _Nothing special. I just saw them and thought of you so I bought them." The scar faced warrior replied._

" _That's so sweet." She said walking into the kitchen and opening the cupboard where the vases were held. "I'll get these into water and then we can go."_

 _Vegeta snorted from where he was seated at the kitchen table decimating a whole turkey laid out in front of him._

" _Look Vegeta." Bulma said pointing to the bouquet. "It's a human courting custom for a man to bring flowers to the woman he is dating. Isn't it sweet?"_

 _Vegeta snorted again and shook his head a smirk on his face. "You humans have the most bizarre customs. I never would have thought that a man bringing drying flora to a woman he is courting after fornicating with another would be considered 'sweet' by your standards, woman."_

 _The vase in Bulma's hands slipped from her fingers and shattered sending water, glass and roses scattering across the floor._

 _Yamcha's eyes widened a bead of sweat forming near his temple. "What the Hell are you talking about?!" The baseball player demanded._

" _Did you not know?" Vegeta replied cocking a brow as he looked at Bulma. "Every time he comes here with those blooms in his hand, he reeks of the stench of lust and other woman."_

 _Their eyes met and Bulma felt a part of her heart die. There was no mischief, no malice, just honesty in those obsidian depths. Vegeta was many things, but a liar was not one of them. Sure he could bluff in battle but this wasn't the same. Sure he and Yamcha had hated one another from the moment they laid eyes on each other, and there had been some serious sexual tension rising between herself and the Saiyan Prince, but he would never sabotage their relationship with a lie. It wasn't his way of doing things. Now the question was, would Yamcha own up to what he had done._

 _Bulma's blue eyes turned on Yamcha. "Is it true?" She asked._

" _You can't be serious." The bandit replied. "Are you seriously taking that guys word for it?"_

" _Answer the question Yamcha." Bulma replied._

 _The man paled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "There was a girl at the gym where I was working out. She came onto me, but I got away before things got too hot. I promise! I love you B." He said reaching for her._

 _Bulma took a step back and looked at Vegeta. "Is he telling the truth?" She asked._

" _Bulma! Please believe me!" Yamacha pleaded._

" _Please Vegeta. I need to know." She said her blue eyes never leaving the dark ones of her houseguest._

" _He's lying." Vegeta said simply._

 _Bulma's head fell forward and she took a deep breath. So it was true then. She and Yamcha had always had a rocky relationship. He was no longer the slightly awkward, ruggedly handsome boy she'd fallen in love with as a teenager. Fame had changed him and though she'd hoped that at the core of it all, she'd hoped he'd stayed true to his feelings to her. Now she knew that wasn't the case._

" _Get out." She said softly. "We're over Yamcha. I'll have your things sent to your apartment. Don't call me for a while."_

" _Don't do this B. I love you. Vegeta's a murderer! How can you believe him!" Yamcha demanded._

" _He's not a liar." Bulma replied. "He has been completely honest with me from the beginning, even when we first met on Namek. He wouldn't start lying now over something as trivial as our relationship."_

" _Bulma please." Yamcha begged. "I love you."_

" _Leave." She said firmly. "I have work to do." She said walking towards the hall that led to the rest of the house, away from her former lover._

" _I do hope you're referring to the gravity simulator. I have training to do." Vegeta said with a sneer._

" _I was actually." She said coming up to the intergalactic warrior. She trailed her fingertips lightly along his bicep up to his shoulder as she walked past him. "Thank you Vegeta." She said her voice soft and sincere._

 _His eyes widened in shocked surprise, a light tinge of pink dusting his cheeks as the sudden contact as Bulma walked away from the past ten years of her life. Her childhood dreams and teenaged delusions were gone, shattered in an instant by Yamcha's betrayal. It was time to grow up and move on._

The sensation of her soft curves being pulled against hard muscles startled her out of her memory and she found herself face to face with Vegeta whose eyes were bright with that spark that had sent him tumbling into her bed for the first time years ago.

"Vegeta?" She questioned her heart pounding out of control as his hand slid up her back over her dress.

"I'll kill him." He snarled. "He laid his filthy hands on you, talked of claiming my son as his own. If this was planet Vegeta, he'd be publicly eviscerated for such a thing." He wrapped his fingers around the collar of her dress and pulled.

Bulma squeaked in surprise as he tore the dress down the middle, the fabric falling in shreds to the floor. He took a step back and a low rumble of appreciation left his throat as he studied her clad in only tights and her bra. Their eyes met and the heat that had all but burned them alive before the androids had appeared roared to life between them.

Before Bulma really understood what was happening, she found herself slammed up against his bedroom door, his mouth devouring hers with a passion that left her breathless.

"Vegeta!" She gasped clutching at his shoulders.

He ignored her and reached around to the clasp of her bra, disintegrating it with a pulse of his ki. He pulled it away from her body and cupped one of the mounds in his rough hand. She moaned at the sensation, her breasts heavy and sensitive from not feeding Trunks recently. His thumb brushed a nipple and she threw her head back a cry of ecstasy leaving her lips. She'd been celibate for nearly two years and Kami did it feel good to have his hands on her again.

He chuckled at her reaction and kissed along her jaw to her ear. "What a wanton little thing you are." He purred before tugging on it with his teeth.

She gasped as he slipped his knee between her legs and she ground down on it shamelessly the friction making her hot with desire.

His mouth with to the nape of her neck licking and sucking at the spot as he continued to play with her breasts until she was about to find her release from just her grinding and his nipple play alone. He pulled away from her and she nearly sobbed in frustration.

Vegeta moved quickly and ripped her tights from her body. He took a deep breath and his eyes rolled back in his head before they close. "It's so strong." He rasped. "The scent of your arousal. It's making me crazy."

Without another work, he tossed her lightly onto the neatly made bed. Bulma watched her body aching and on fire as Vegeta approached her, a predatory gleam in his eyes as he removed his blue tank top and then his black shorts leaving him in nothing but a pair of navy blue boxers. Her eyes raked over his muscled form greedily, her tongue darting out from between her lips to wet them. He smirked at her expression.

"See something you like woman?" He asked.

"You know I do, you arrogant ass." she snarled.

He chuckled and then pounced on her, covering her body with his own. She gasped and then moaned at the sensation. He was so hot and hard like velvet covered steel. She arched up against him sighing at the pleasurable sensation of his skin against hers. She'd dreamed of it for so long, but nothing she dreamed was ever comparable to the true sensation of his muscled form pressing into her softer one his hands sliding over her waist to her hips a low groan leaving his lips as he guided her to grind her hips against his hard erection.

"Vegeta! Please!" She begged the sensation making her burn hotter for her alien lover.

"Patience." He replied with a low chuckle.

With agonizing slowness, he maped her body with his mouth and fingers. It was as though he was rememorzing her with long washes of his tongue and caresses with his calloused pulled her panties from her legs and smirked at the wetness there before tossing them to the floor along with his boxers. His mouth moved further south and Bulma's head was thrown back, her teeth clamped down on her little finger as he went, preventing her gasps from leaving her mouth when he suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes and glanced down at him struggling to make out his features in the dim moonlight streaming through the window..

He was studying a thin, slightly puckered line that curved from hip bone to hip bone low on her abdomen. His finger traced it lightly a frown touching his features.

"This is new. Less than a year old." He remarked before he glanced up to meet her eyes. "What happened to you, Bulma?"

The concern in his eyes and the gentleness in which he said her name nearly moved her to tears, but she blinked them away and answered his question.

"Trunks." She replied simply. "I went into labor months before he was due and he got caught in the birth canal. He seemed to sense the danger and panicked." She laid her hand on her heart and squeezed it into a fist. "He was so strong, even then, that he started to tear me apart from the inside. I was losing so much blood and Trunks still wouldn't budge so the doctor operated in order to save us both."

Vegeta's eyes widened and then softened before he leaned down and traced the line with his lips. "My little warrior woman." He breathed softly. "Baring a scar from the battle to bring my son into the world."

Her heart swelled at his words of praise. "I would have done it again as many times as needed to make sure he made it here safely." She replied.

Vegeta smiled at that. "Spoken like a true royal." He murmured so softly that she could barely hear it before his lips continued their trek southward.

Bulma gasped and then wailed when his tongue touched her throbbing center and swiped up her slit before wiggling her clit.

"Vegeta!" She cried out fisting her hands in his hair.

He sucked, liked and tongued at her center and soon had her writhing and sobbing out his name. He clearly hadn't lost his touch during the time they'd been apart. Then again, he'd seemed to be able to play her body like a musical instrument from their first time together despite his awkward confession to being a virgin after their first coupling.

"Vegeta!" She whimpered her body on the brink of release, her hands fisted in the sheets, "Please! Take me!" She begged.

She cried out when he filled her in one brutal thrust, a touch of pain combining with the pure bliss of finally being one with him again. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she pressed her manicured nails into his back as he thrust into her his face buried in the crook of her neck sucking and biting at her nape as he rocked into her. She shifted her hips and locked her legs around his waist and he hissed at the change in angel holding her as tight to him as he dared while he moved within her. It was one of things that had made her fall in love with him. He'd always taken the difference in their strength of durability into account when making love to her, always holding himself back for her sake.

"Bulma." He gasped. "You're mine. Tell me you're mine!" He demanded.

"I'm yours." She replied holding him tighter. "Always, every part of me belongs to you, forever." She wasn't even sure where the words were coming from, but she had to say them.

"So be it then." He said lifting his face to look into her eyes. "To the one worth of the title and it's crown."

The formal speech and the reverence in which he'd said the words, gave her pause and she tried to study his face but was unable to. He quickly lowered his head and picked up his pace pounding into her faster and harder than before. His rhythm began to break indicating he was nearing his release. One hand caught hers and he laced their fingers together and pressed it into the mattress, his second hand clamped over her mouth just as his teeth sank into the flesh of her neck where it met her shoulder, muffling her scream of pain. Her eyes clamped shut, tears streaming down her face as white hot heat spread from the place his teeth her buried in her flesh, spreading through her body to her heart where it intensified. Suddenly, a sickening sensation filled her as the sensation something being torn from her filled her heart, a piece of her soul was being pulled away, devoured. It made her nauseated, terrified, and it _**hurt**_ worse than the heartbreak of watching Yamcha die, more than the knowledge of his infidelity and subsequent breakup, worse than when Goku died, even more painful then when Vegeta had abandoned her while she was pregnant. She was about to force him away from her when that empty, gaping hole in her soul was suddenly filled an image of Vegeta wearing clothing she'd never seen him in before filling her mind's eye and easing the ache, replacing it with warmth bringing back the pleasure she'd lost.

"Vegeta." She breathed as a strangely easy to satisfying orgasm rippled through her body.

He grunted, his mouth still clamped on her neck and then spilled himself within her.

Bulma panted beneat him as he removed his teeth and laved his tongue over the bleeding wound. She opened her mouth to speak but he silenced her with a squeeze of his hand. He traced over the bitemark and she winced at the burning sensation of his searing hot ki against her skin.

"Bulma, my precious star." He murmured softly lifting onto his elbows to look down at her. "You are mine forever."

"How?" She asked breathlessly searching his dark eyes.

He touched the place he'd bitten her lightly. "This. You bare the mark of our mating. My mark." He said.

Bulma's eyes widened as she saw respect, desire, and deep affection that she recognized as the beginning of love in his eyes. Finally, _finally_ he was with her, committed to her. He would never leave her again, their family was complete. Her eyes filled with tears that streamed down her cheeks.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "Does it hurt?"

She shook her head and quickly pulled him down for a searing kiss before she released him. "Thank you Vegeta." She said softly.

"It's not something to thank me for." He replied. "No one but you was worth of such a thing, that is all."

She nodded and he rolled off of her. There was only one thing left on her mind, so she decided now was a good time to talk about it even if would be uncomfortable. He'd made the choice to be committed and this came with it.

She sat up and took a deep breath before looking over at her lover. "Vegeta, I have a question."

"That's a lie. You have endless questions." He replied sitting up.

"I'm a scientist. It's an occupational hazard." She replied with a smile before her expression turned serious. "Why… Why didn't you save us? That day when the androids showed up."

His body tensed before he looked away. "I've fought men like Gero before. Strictly tactical fighters with no honor. They'll pull any underhanded trick, make any sacrifice to accomplish their goal. At that time, I was the strongest warrior we had and he was focused on making his escape. Blowing you out of the sky was a way strictly a diversion. However, if I'd reacted when he shot you down, he would have realized that you two were important to me and he would have taken advantage of that. Whether he would have killed you or captured you I'm not sure, but I couldn't take that risk. I knew that one of the others would save you."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I thought so." She admitted.

His eyes widened and he turned to look at her. "Really?" He said his tone tinged with disbelief.

"Don't get me wrong." She said looking back at him. "I was mad as hell and hurt that you would just leave us to die like that, but the more I thought of it, the more I came to realize that there must have been a reason why."

He smirked at her. "Well, you are more clever than the average human. I'm not surprised you figured it out."

Bulma nodded and moved closer to him leaning against him. "I missed you." She admitted.

"Sentimental nonsense." He replied.

"That doesn't change the fact that I did." She replied before laying her lips on his shoulder. "It seems that I let you do all the work this time. Can I be on top?" She murmured her hand sliding over his abdomen.

"Insatiable vixen." He replied with a smirk groaning when she gripped his length in her hand.

"I've been celibate for almost two years because of you. I intend on making up for lost time." She replied nibbling on his neck.

"As you wish." He replied lifting her by the hips and settling her over his own. "Show me what you've got puny earth woman."

"Oh, I will." She promised.

#%#%

Bulma awoke to the shrill beeping of an alarm clock and groaned. Her eyes widened when a muscular arm reached across her and slammed the button down.

"Don't start shrieking woman, it's far too early for that." Vegeta grumbled as he sat up in bed.

Bulma's eyes widened as she took in his naked form and then glanced down at her own. She sat up and winced, the space between her legs and the nape of her neck throbbing before smiling. Last night hadn't been a dream. Vegeta had made love to her, he'd marked her as his mate. She couldn't be happier.

She twined her arms around his neck and kissed his temple lightly.

"Bulma, I have training to do." He growled as she peppered kisses down his neck.

"I'll make it work your while." she promised.

He smirked at her and turned ready to press her into the sheets when a loud cry startled them both.

"Trunks!" Bulma exclaimed leaping to the floor.

Vegeta sighed and walked towards his bathroom as Bulma picked up the tank top he'd discarded last night and pulled it on over her head.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"You shredded most of my clothes off." She reminded him. "I am _not_ running across the hall naked."

He smirked at that and she rolled her eyes before gripping the doorknob in her hands. "Please don't let my mother be on the other side of this door." She prayed aloud before opening it slowly.

Seeing no one, she dashed across the room to her bedroom and shut it behind her. With a sigh, she walked into her own bathroom and started the shower. An inspection of her body told her that he'd likely been just as secualy frustrated as she'd been, finger shapped bruises visible on both her hips and her waist. She winced when the water hit the bite mark on her neck and finished up quickly in order to inspect it.

With a towel wrapped around her, she studied the mark. Vegeta's teeth marks were easy to see and reminded her a little of a vampire, with the elongated canines easily visible in her skin. Between the two crescent shaped marks, was a symbol she didn't recognize, thought it reminded her a little of a trident.

"Is this what he meant when he said I'd wear his mark?" She murmured to herself before stepping out of the room.

She dressed in a typical business suit because of her board meeting but this time, wrapped a scarf around her neck. Something told her that hiding the mark was best for now.

With quick steps she left the room and entered the kitchen smiling at the scene before her. Vegeta was seated next to Trunks both shoveling pancakes into their mouths.

"Good morning honey. How did everything go last night?" Bunny asked as she handed Bulma a cup of coffee, a knowing gleam in her eye.

Bulma blushed and cleared her throat before adding cream and sugar to her cup. "Good. Everything was fine." She replied. "I'm surprised I didn't hear Trunks last night."

"We figured you're be tired after everything last night so we kept him with us." Dr. Briefs said walking into the room.

"Thanks." Bulma said walking up to give her father a kiss on the cheek.

"Ready for the meeting today?" He asked her.

"No." She replied wrinkling her nose. "But I'm excited to meet with the researchers." She glanced at the time. "That reminds me, I'm late."

"When will you be back?" Bunny asked transferring the coffee into a portable cup.

"Around four." She replied kissing Trunks on the head.

"Woman." Vegeta said his eyes meeting hers.

"Vegeta." She replied unsurprised when he followed her to the entryway and pressed her up against the wall out of sight from her parents.

He kissed her until she was panting, her cheeks red from pleasure. Her eyes glazed over with passion.

"Don't you forget what this means." He said tracing his mark over her scarf.

"Never." She replied. "I'm yours."

"Good.I'll expect you at the back at the time you said." He told her stepping back.

She nodded and gave him one last sultry smile and a wink before dashing out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

"Miss Bulma!" her assistant, a young man named Robert exclaimed. "You're late."

"I know." she replied adjusting her scarf making sure it completely covered the bite mark. "Let's head to the lab." she said handing him her purse and shrugging into the lab coat he offered her.

He nodded and walked with her to the office where he handed her a clipboard with the plans for the experiment that was about to take place. Testing a new, cheaper form a rocket fuel. A little smirk touched her lips. Vegeta would love that. Being able to go into space more often and with more fuel so he could go further if he wanted to. She'd miss him when he was gone of course, but with the mark on her neck and his commitment to train Trunks, she wasn't afraid of him leaving for good anymore.

"Shall we go?" Robert asked adjusting the glasses on his narrow nose nervously.

She nodded. "Yeah." she replied studying the figures as she walked to the elevator and Robert pushed the button that led to the underground lab.

As she lift moved, she frowned and touched her chin. The engine they were choosing to use made her uncomfortable. Instead of using one of the newer engines, they were using the previous model. Though there wasn't much difference between the two at first glance, she wasn't sure if the old one could handle heat the way the new one could. She'd designed the engine herself implementing elements from the gravity simulator Vegeta overused into the design and knew that the engine could handle way more abuse than the other one.

As soon as she arrived on the lab floor she strode up to the head scientist.

"Cancel the experiment." she said firmly.

"What?" protested Dr. Zollo. "Why?"

"That engine won't be able the heat that new fuel will produce. The newest one should though." she explained.

Dr. Zollo's eyes narrowed slightly. He was an older man, close to her father's age and unlike her father who was very open to new ideas was very stuck on the notion that a woman's place was in the kitchen, not the laboratory.

"Are you saying that because the newer model is one that you designed Miss. Briefs?" he demanded. "Trying to inflate your own reputation."

Her head inclined at his challenge and she refused to back down. "If you'll recall Dr. Zollo this experiment is to test the new fuel not the engine. Additionally, the engine that I designed was built specifically to handle the most extreme conditions I could fathom." And Vegeta's training regiment was definitely extreme. "My top priority in this lab has always been to create the best quality, innovative products we can in the safest environment possible for everyone who works here." the older doctor glared at her but she refused to be intimidated. She'd challenge the Prince of all Saiyans on more than one occasion and walked away unscathed. This old man couldn't touch her. She shoved her finger in his chest. "I refuse to put my employees at risk because of your sexist mindset so either change the engine, or get out and pack your desk!"

"You wouldn't dare." he replied his eyes wide.

"Try me!" she snapped her eyes blazing.

He glared at her for a few more tense moments before he took a deep breath and backed down. "Fine." he growled. "If we aren't able to release it on time-"

"I'll take responsibility." she replied immediately. "We are the leaders in space travel for a very good reason." she reminded him with a smirk. "I can personally guarantee that no one will ever be able to beat us in terms of advanced aerospace technology."

"How can you be so sure?" Dr. Zollo asked.

She chuckled and headed towards the other parts of the lab where other scientists were working. "You could say I've got an inside man that knows more about space travel than you could ever imagine." she said before walking up to a scientist working on a design for a new satellite watch. "So, what do we have here?" she said smiling at the young woman who grinned brightly at her before rattling off her progress on the project. This was the part of her job that she loved. Being around brilliant people and helping to create amazing technology.

:8:

Hours later with a finger pressed to her temple, she was faced with the part of her job that she hated.

"I'm just saying that all of this negative publicity has put Capsule Corp in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons." Explained Stephen Duncan.

Bulma glanced up and her eyes narrowed. "Last time I checked Capsule Corp was the technology leader of this world making more than twice as much as it's most aggressive competitor. Is there a reason you're making a problem where there is none?" she demanded.

"I'm just worried about the longevity and stability of this company." Stephen replied. "If you were married, then many of your loudest opponents would be quieted. Your child is a bastard with a father that no one has even seen you with if your claims can be believed."

Bulma took a deep breath and then stood slamming her hands on the wood of the table. **No one** called Trunks a bastard and got away with that.

"I suggest you shut your mouth." she said softly in a voice so full of venom that even the oldest members of the board, men and women that had known her from the day she was born flinched. "Call my son a bastard again and I will have you physically escorted off of this property." she glared at the corporate playboy doing her best to imitate Vegeta's cold scowl.

He flinched and sat down slowly. "Sorry. That was a little harsh." he admitted quietly.

"My personal life has nothing to do with my work, but since some of you are more concerned about my child's parentage than doing your jobs properly, I'll let you in on a couple 'secrets'. Trunks father and I are in a committed relationship, he lives with me in the house that sits on this compound." Her eyes scorched every person in the boardroom. "He is very protective of his son and has a temper that rivals mine. I suggest you keep any negative comments about my son to yourself while you're here just in case he overhears you. He is nowhere near as forgiving as I am." Her brow furrowed even more at the rage she saw in Stephen's eyes. "Now can we actually move on to the real purpose of this meeting?"

"Yes Miss. Briefs." Stuttered one of the board members. "The sale figures for last quarter came in and-"

There was a soft knock at the door before a young woman peeked inside looking nervous. Bulma recognized her as one of her researchers.

"Is something wrong Lizzie?" She asked the blonde woman.

"It's Dr. Zollo, I saw him tampering with the engine in the demonstration room." She confessed quietly.

Bulma's eyes blazed. "He wouldn't dare." She growled stalking towards the door. "This meeting is adjourned."

"But Miss-" came a protest.

"My priority has always been, and will always be the safety of the employees of this company!" She snapped. "Next time we have a meeting start with the important things and grill me about my personal life afterwards!"

She dashed out of the room following the scientist and made her way to the laboratory.

"Thanks for this." She said to Lizzie. "Have everyone start evacuating as soon as we hit the floor."

Visions of Vegeta lying in a pile of rubble covered in blood flashing to the forefront of her mind. He was a Saiyan, one of the toughest races in the Universe and that explosion had nearly killed him. Frail humans didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of surviving a blast like that. "I'm not taking any chances."

"Right." Lizzie agreed.

The lift arrived and the young researcher dashed forward to a panel on the wall and slammed the bright yellow button that would call for a lower level evacuation. The labs were located underground with the strongest walls and reinforcements that Capsule Corp could create but there was always a chance that it wouldn't be enough.

As the research and development staff poured out of the labs, she sprinted toward the demonstration chamber and slammed the emergency override button just as Dr. Zollo was about to run the demonstration program and slammed the door of the control room open.

"Start explaining what you're doing right now!" She growled.

"I was about to test the fuel in the way I had already dictated." He replied simply.

"I told you not to!" She snarled.

"I ran the figures again." He protested. "The engine should hold up just fine."

"It'll be running too close to the limits of the engine's capabilities!" She argued. "Use the newer model so there's a larger margin for error!"

"You may be Dr. Brief's daughter but you are not the owner of this company yet. I don't have to listen to you." He said with a sneer his finger moving closer to the activation switch and he pressed it.

"Fool!" She growled shoving him out of the way and quickly logging onto the computer and desperately working through the programming to shut down the process manually her fingers flying over the keys. "I redesigned the engine in the first place because it couldn't take extreme heat!" Her eyes widened as she heard the high pitched squealing that she remembered hearing the day the gravity chamber exploded with Vegeta inside.

"Shit! I'm not going to make it!" She hissed in frustration as alarms suddenly went off indicating an error. "Get down!" She shouted as the engine exploded.

The world seemed to slow down as she turned and shoved a stunned looking Dr. Zollo to the ground just as the glass in the observation room exploded. Metal and glass rained down on her and she felt the sensation of warm blood seeping through her clothes but strangely little pain as she fell forward gasping.

"Miss. Briefs?" Dr. Zollo whispered in disbelief.

"The alloy that engine is made of. It shatters like glass with little warning when subjected to extreme heat." She said breathlessly shakily lifting her head to look at him. "I redesigned it after a terrible accident that nearly killed the father of my son."

"I didn't know." He confessed reaching towards her but pulling back unsure of where and how to touch her. He was a mechanical engineer not a medical doctor.

"There are lots of things you probably don't know about me." She admitted softly.

"Bulma! Where are you!?" Shouted a familiar rough voice.

"Vegeta." She breathed tilting her head towards the door, a sense of calm washing over her as his muscled form appeared in the doorway.

"Damn it!" He growled rushing forward and kneeling beside her. "What mess did you meddle in this time?" He snarled pulling out the largest pieces of glass and metal he could see protruding from her back.

"I was trying to prevent the mess from happening at all." She replied weakly her vision fading.

"Don't fall asleep on me woman!" He growled. "Keep your damn eyes open! Do you understand me?!"

"You don't have to yell at me." She whined cringing as a wave of pain crashed over her. "Shit! This hurts."

"Weak earth woman." Vegeta scoffed.

"Shut up monkey man!" She snarled.

"Is that the best you can do? Your insults are normally much more creative than that." He said gently scooping her up and arranging her carefully across his arms.

"Screw you." She grumbled.

"Oh, you will." He promised with a smirk. "You owe me at least that much for this."

"Who are you?" Dr. Zollo asked finally finding his voice.

Vegeta ignored him and hovered an inch or so off the ground and glided forward with Bulma in his arms to minimize any jostling that might aggravate her wounds.

"I always imagined something like this being a bit more romantic." Bulma confessed as he carried her towards the staircase bypassing the elevator and shot up towards the exit.

Vegeta snorted. "Saiyans don't waste time on such frivolous things." He replied snapping the door clean off its hinges with his foot when he arrived at the floor he wanted. "Where should I take you woman?" He asked. "Your wounds need attending too."

"The hospital." She replied. "It's three blocks north of here."

He nodded and took off in the direction she told him.

"Where is Trunks?" She asked.

"With your mother." He replied.

"Why did you come for me?" She asked.

"You said you'd be back by four. It was past five when I went looking for you." He replied simply.

"I see." She replied as he landed in front of the hospital. "Go through the door that says 'emergency'." She told him.

He did as she asked and ignored the gasps as he approached the front desk. "Send for a doctor to tend to this woman immediately." He ordered the intake nurse seated there.

The woman gaped at them for a moment.

" **NOW**!" Vegeta roared sending the Nurse scampering away.

"Don't terrorize the hospital staff Vegeta." Bulma chastised her eyes drifting closed.

"What did I say about closing your eyes?!" Vegeta snarled at her. "Open them!"

"I'm so tired Vegeta." Bulma protested the blood loss taking its toll as shock began to set in.

"Damnit Bulma! Listen to me!" He growled.

"Let me sleep." She whispered as the world faded to black and she drifted into unconsciousness.

$%$

Bulma's eyes slowly fluttered open and she winced at the right fluorescent lights shining down at her. As she shifted, her back seemed to erupt into flames, the pain making her gasp.

"Bulma! Are you awake?" Came her father's concerned voice.

"Seems that way." she replied as his face appeared above her. "What are you doing here?"

"Vegeta told us where you were." Dr. Brief's explained. "It was quite a shock. He came into the house covered in blood and told us he'd taken you to the hospital at your request and that we should probably come over to check on you."

She chuckled and shook her head. It sounded just like him.

"Where is Trunks?" she asked.

"Your mother took him down to the cafeteria to get him fed a little while ago. They should be returning shortly." he explained pulling a chair up next to her bed.

"I pieced together what happened from the camera footage and data readouts from the lab. A few of the researchers talked to me as well." he said reaching over to grasp her hand. "Well done."

She smiled at her father whom she so admired and blushed lightly. "Thanks Dad." she said softly.

He smiled back and nodded giving her hand a little squeeze before leaning back in his chair. "I've given Dr. Zollo an indefinite suspension." he continued. "He asked me to tell you that he's terribly sorry and that he's thankful to you for protecting him."

Bulma nodded and then chuckled. "Vegeta's going to be so angry when he finds out I was protecting that guy." she mused aloud.

The Doctor smirked. "Probably." he agreed. "Speaking of Vegeta, I take it you two have worked out your differences?"

The blue eyed woman nodded and lifted her hand to the mark that she could feel but not see that was healing on her neck. "Yes. If my assumption is correct, I'm his wife, at least according to his Saiyan culture." she replied.

Dr. Briefs nodded. "Very good."

Just then, Bunny Briefs burst in with Trunks balanced on her hip.

"Honey! You're finally awake!" she squealed rushing forward. She wrapped her arm around Bulma as best she could and squeezed. "I was so worried!"

"I'm alright mom." she assured the blonde woman before her eyes settled on her son. "Hey there my little Super Saiyan." she cooed. "How are you?"

The child reached for her and she took him in her arms careful to avoid the tubing attached to her hand. His tiny hand reached up to touch a bandage that was wrapped around her head.

"Owie?" he questioned his vibrant, scowling blue eyes brightening with intelligence that was beyond his age.

Bulma nodded. "Yeah. Mommy has an owie." she replied.

The boy nodded in a way that looked almost sagely before he pulled himself upright gripping the front of her hospital gown tightly as he balanced on the bed and pressed his lips to the bandages.

"Etter?" he asked patting her head as gently as his Saiyan hands would allow.

Her eyes watered at the gentle gesture and she nodded. "Yes. Better. Thank you baby." she said kissing his cheek.

"Well Dear, we better get going." Dr. Briefs said rising from his chair. "Bulma needs her rest and Trunks needs to get into bed." he said watching as the baby yawned almost on cue.

"Alright." Bunny relented. "We'll be back to visit tomorrow. The doctor said he wanted to keep you for a few days to watch for infection."

"I figured as much." Bulma replied with a sigh. "I'll see you guys later."

Her parents toting her son nodded and left leaving her alone in the spacious hospital room. She leaned back against the pillows and glanced at the ceiling as her thoughts floated back to Vegeta. He had saved her. The brute that had once threatened to kill her without a hint of remorse on his face had swooped her up and carried her to safety. A small smile touched her lips. He was becoming a better man every day. She was sure one day he'd become the kind of person she, and she suspected Goku, knew he could be. With his face in her mind, her eyes drifted closed and she fell asleep once again.

:8:

The next day, after her parents had left to put Trunks down for his afternoon nap, there was a knock at the door and a familiar face peaked in the door.

"Hey B." said Yamcha as he stepped inside holding a bouquet of Daisies and Irises in his hand.

"Hey!" she exclaimed happily setting the romance novel she had just started down on the nearby table. "How are you?"

"I should be asking you that." he replied sheepishly as Puar floated in after him and zoomed to her side wrapping fuzzy little arm around her head.

"Bulma! I was so worried!" Squeaked the little floating cat.

"Aww!" Bulma said patting the little shape shifter's head affectionately. "I'm alright. Just a little banged up. I'll be fine. I'm tough remember?"

Puar sniffed and nodded moving back a little to study her face. A small smile touched her mouth. "I'm so glad." she murmured floating to the side to settle in the pillows propped behind Bulma's back and leaning lightly against her shoulder.

The blue eyed woman smiled at the little creature. Though she'd broken up with Yamcha, she and the little cat were still close. They had experienced many adventures together and knew that the shape shifter was on her side telling her after the breakup and that Yamcha was an idiot for ruining their relationship with his infidelity.

Yamcha slipped his flowers into an empty vase, filled it with water and put it by Bulma's bedside before settling into one of the chairs at her bedside.

"What happened?" he asked. "We heard you got caught in some sort of lab accident."

"Oh you know, an engine exploded and I got caught in the blast." she said with a wave of her hand. "No big deal."

Her ex-boyfriend sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. "No big deal my foot. You could've been killed!" he grumbled.

She chuckled and shook her head. "Me? Done in by an explosion in the prime of my life? No way. I'm not going to Other World until I'm good and ready." she proclaimed confidently.

Yamcha chuckled at that. "Probably." he agreed. He could just see her throwing a fit at King Yemma's desk demanding to go back because she was too busy to die. "So what exactly happened?" he asked. When her eyes turned on him and narrowed slightly he raised them up in surrender. "I'm sure I'm going to get grilled by Tien, Krillin or one of the others when they find out."

She chuckled and nodded. "One of my scientists took it upon himself to run an experiment using the engine I told him not to use. It exploded before I had a chance to override the program." she explained. "I got caught in the blast trying to save his miserable hide."

Yamcha let out a low whistle. "Damn girl." he murmured. "You're picking up Goku's bad habit of saving idiots aren't you?"

Bulma laughed out loud. "Maybe." she admitted. "Vegeta wasn't very happy with me."

The former bandit's brow rose at that. "Vegeta? He was there?"

She shook her head. "No. He showed up after the explosion. In fact, he flew me here."

Yamcha's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way. He flew you here? As in, carried you in his arms, through the sky and checked you into the hospital?"

Bulma blushed at the memory and nodded. "He did." she replied softly.

"I can't see it." Yamcha confessed. "Especially with how he didn't even move when Dr. Gero shot you and Trunks out of the sky."

Bulma sighed. "He had his reasons for that."

"Bulma!" Yamcha snarled. "You nearly died!"

"I know that!" she shot back before taking a deep breath and pinching the bridge of her nose. "The point is, ever since Goku died." she swallowed quickly over the lump that suddenly formed in her throat at the words. "He's changed." she said softly looking at her hands. "He's a little… softer." she said struggling to put her observations into words. "He spends an hour with Trunks every day, just the two of them." Vegeta called it training, she called it father-son bonding time. "He came to save me without being asked."

Yamcha nodded and sighed. "Well, I'm glad to hear he's not such a heartless bastard, for your sake anyway."

Bulma chuckled and covered her mouth with her hand. "He'd probably pummel you into the ground if he heard you say that." she said.

"Probably." he agreed with a grin even as sweat beaded on his forehead.

"So, how is baseball going?" she asked conversationally.

Yamcha smirked. "Our team is in the top three." he replied with pride. "Let me tell you."

Bulma smiled and settled in as Yamcha rattled off about the sport he'd come to excel at. It was comforting to have him near her like this with no tension, romantic or otherwise. Just two old friends visiting. She was happy that things were finally moving in the direction she wanted them to. Yamcha was one of her oldest and closest friends. Losing him after their relationship fell apart had been more painful than she'd ever admitted even to herself. Having him back with her like this, was exactly how she wanted it.

"I'll stop by again." he assured her as he stood leaning forward to kiss her temple lightly.

She shot him a dirty look and then smiled. "Alright. See you later Yamcha."

He smiled and left with Puar by his side and she smiled. "Yes. This is how it should be." she said softly.

"I thought you weren't seeing that delinquent anymore?" a low, unfortunately familiar voice drawled.

"Is there something I can do for you Mr. Duncan?" she asked picking up her laptop from where it sat on the bedside table and switching it on.

"Is that any way to greet a man who came all the way here to express his condolences?" he asked sauntering into the room filling it with the scent of musky cologne that she knew cost almost one thousand dollars a bottle which was a pity since it smelled so awful. "I even brought you flowers." he said setting an expensive looking arrangement of roses on a nearby table.

"Thank you. They're lovely." she said glancing at the red, white, and pink arrangement.

She couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to be subtly romantic or just didn't have a clue that sick people didn't usually receive roses as get well flowers. Not even her parents had brought any opting for a bright arrangement of carnations and lillies instead.

"So why was that washed up baseball player here?" The rich man asked sitting down in one of the chairs and tugging on the sleeves of his armani suit and flashing the massive gold rolex watch on his wrist.

"He was visiting me as my friend and if you continue to insult him, I'll have to ask you to leave." She replied her eyes scanning over the complicated chemical formula she'd been messing with on her computer and quietly turning on the webcam.

"Sorry. I just find it hard to believe that anyone can go back to being friends after a history like yours." Stephen said.

"Yamcha and I have been through too much together for that." Bulma replied. "Just because I don't have romantic feelings for him anymore doesn't change the fact that he's precious to me."

"I see." Stephen said glancing around. "So, has Trunks father stopped by?" he asked. "I only see arrangements from your parents and Yamcha here." a small smirk touched his lips. "Could it be he hasn't stopped by at all? Some romantic partner he is. I knew you were bluffing when you said you were in a relationship with someone at the meeting."

Bluma felt a stab of pain in her heart but quickly brushed it away as she fingered the mark on her neck over the bandages wrapped there. She knew Vegeta cared about her, he'd flown her here himself after all. She also knew he hated going out in public and that his training was very important to him. He hadn't come to see her because he knew she was in good hands and that there was nothing he could do for her. It wasn't as though he was trying to be inconsiderate of her feelings.

"Just because he isn't here doesn't mean he doesn't care." she said firmly. "He has things to do including caring for our son while I'm recovering and to be honest, our relationship is none of your business."

"Don't be like that." Stephen said standing up from the chair and approaching her beside. "You don't have to lie to me Bulma." he reached out and stroked a hand over her hair making her skin crawl. "I'll take care of you." he promised sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'll give you everything you could ever want." he purred running his finger along her collarbone. "I'll satisfy your every desire." he breathed leaning towards her as his hand ventured towards her breast.

Fear and disgust rippled through her even as she smacked his hand away hissing when the action aggravated several of her still healing injuries. Gods what she wouldn't give to have Saiyan strength and healing powers right now. She sat the computer on the bedside table and glared at him.

"Get your filthy hands off me." she snarled.

His eyes hardened and he reached out gripping her chin tightly in his hands. "Listen up you haughty bitch." he growled. "A slut like you should be grateful that I'm giving you the time of day." he leaned forward until his lips were against her ear. "Paparazzi are watching from the roof of the opposite building. It would look bad for Capsule Corp if you were caught assaulting one of your own board members, though getting caught in bed with him might just dispel those rumors about that bastard of yours belonging to that lowlife bandit."

Her eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in anger at his threats. "You sick son of a bitch." she snarled.

"I believe that title belongs to your son, however as long as the bitch is pretty and fertile, it doesn't really matter." he sneered.

He lowered his mouth towards her neck and she shoved at him a yelp of pain leaving her lips when he shook her violently.

"You coward!" she shouted tears of pain and fear pricking at her eyes. "Somebody help me!"

"This room is private, there's no one else on this floor and the nurse had to 'step out' for a little while." he told her in a matter of fact tone. "Now then, are you going to be civil about this Miss. Briefs or does this have to get ugly?"

It was strange. From the time Bulma was a teenager she'd been surrounded by men whose strength and power defied human limits, standards, and imagination. Warriors that could shatter mountains with a single punch, walk away unscathed from a hail of gunfire, and destroy entire planets with ki blasts. Yet, she'd never truly felt afraid of any of them.

Sure Piccolo had been a real piece of work back in the day, but after raising Gohan for a time, she knew that his green broody exterior hid a warm gooey center that loved Goku's oldest son like his own and would protect the earth and it's people without a second thought. Even Vegeta who had once come to earth and murdered her then lover had turned around and become someone she knew would never raise a hand against her even though she was sure he wanted to from time to time. This man, however had a dark gleam in his eyes that frightened her more than the Saiyan Prince had with a ki ball in his hand aimed at her heart. Vegeta's eyes back then had promised death, Stephen's eyes now promised a pain worse than that.

"Vegeta!" she cried out kicking at Stephen as he tried to reach down her hospital gown. "Help me Vegeta!"

"Is that the name of the degenerate that sired your bastard?" Stephen sneered.

There was a flash of black and blue and suddenly Stephen's weight was off of her, his stench no longer suffocating her. Her body relaxed against the bed and a shuddering sigh of relief left her lips. "Vegeta." She breathed her eyes taking in the sight of her ink haired lover.

He stood at her bedside with the business man's throat in his hand dressed in a blue tee shirt and grey track pants that she vaguely remembered buying him before the Cell Games. His dark eyes were cold, his mouth turned down into a deeper scowl than normal as he glared at Stephen.

"Do you have any last words before I send you to Hell?" he asked the man coldly.

Stephen paled and desperately pulled at Vegeta's thick forearm. "This is a misunderstanding." the man rasped. "Let me explain."

"You dared to lay your hands on my mate and insulted my son!" Vegeta roared his free hand glowing with blue light as he gathered ki into his palm. "Your pathetic life is forfeit!"

A flash from the open window caught Bulma's attention and snapped her out of her stupor as she launched out of bed. She couldn't let Vegeta kill him, not here where there were witnesses around.

"Vegeta don't!" she exclaimed leaping at them yelping when the IV's in her hand ripped out.

The Saiyan Prince's eyes widened as he immediately dropped the fool to the ground and caught her before she hit the floor.

"Have you gone mad!?" he demanded carrying her back to the bed as her arms locked around his neck. "What the Hell were you thinking woman?"

"Don't kill him." she begged. "He's hired photographers. If you kill him here and now there will be evidence. Please."

Vegeta growled in irritation. "He deserves to die!" he snarled.

"I know." she replied. "But if you do this now, the authorities will show up and take Trunks from us. Vegeta please. Just take me home." Tears welled in her eyes and dripped onto his shirt. "I want to go home." she whimpered her grip on his neck tightening as she used his clean masculine scent to erase Stephen's musky stench from her nose.

He sighed. "Fine." he snapped turning away from the bed and towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Stephen demanded getting shakily to his feet. "You can't just take her! Who the hell are you anyway?"

Vegeta chose to ignore his questions but turned back to glared at the businessman. "If you ever come near Bulma again, I will kill you." he promised.


	5. Chapter 5

Vegeta laid Bulma gently in her own bed and she gripped his wrist when he turned to walk away.

"What is it?" he asked looking down at her. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Stay with me." she pleaded softly. "Just for a little while. Please."

"I need to hunt down that pathetic waste of human flesh and kill him." Vegeta growled.

"Vegeta please." she begged tears brimming in her eyes. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll even build you a brand new gravity room attached to the house. Just... " she shuddered choking down a sob. "Don't leave me alone."

He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed and she quickly laid her head in his lap curling up into a ball against his leg before he could protest. In her mind, she couldn't erase the image of Stephen's cruel, evil eyes and the disgusting way he made her feel when he touched her.

"I've never seen you like this." Vegeta confessed laying his hand on top of her head. "Not even on Namak. Are you feeling more vulnerable because you're injured?"

"Probably." she replied. "But that's not it… Not really anyway."

"Then what frightened you?" He asked.

"His eyes." she replied softly. "I've seen so many over the years. I've seen men look at me with contempt, envy, hatred, lust, love, admiration, guilt. Hell, your eyes used to scream 'jump off the nearest cliff blue haired wench'."

He smirked at that. "A fairly accurate translation." he replied.

Her lips twitched into a little smile. "Yes, but on Namak, you meant it. I could see in your eyes, that my life meant literally nothing to you. Killing me would have honestly probably have made you happy or at least relieved some of your stress. You wanted to kill me."

"Again, a fairly accurate observation." he said.

"I'm a scientist. It's what we do." she said. "But his eyes… They frightened me more than yours ever have. I've looked into your eyes and seen death, hatred, disdain, and even pure rage directed at me. His eyes, they promised a pain worse than death." she shuddered. "This isn't over. He'll come after me again and again until he gets what he wants."

"Look at me woman." Vegeta commanded her.

She turned her head and met his gaze. His dark eyes were focused and deadly. The look in his eyes similar to the one he got when he was gearing up for a serious battle.

"He will never touch you again." he vowed.

"How can you be sure?" she asked.

"I will not allow it." he said firmly.

She believed him. How could she not when his eyes were nearly ablaze with his conviction. When his free hand was balled into a fist and his brow was furrowed into a scowl that promised swift and painful retribution. Gods how she loved him. She had to bite her tongue to keep the words from rolling off of it. She loved him so much in this moment it nearly brought her to tears.

"Rest woman." he said. "No harm will come to you while I am here. You humans heal at a disgustingly slow rate but sleep seems to accelerate that process a bit."

"Alright." she replied. "Please send my parents over to the hospital to get my laptop."

"Why?" he asked. "You have at least fifty computers of your own here."

"I recorded everything that bastard said and did on it. If he tries to start a shit storm with his hired cameras, I'll destroy him with my own." she said a hint of smug sadistic glee in her voice.

Vegeta blinked and then threw his head back and laughed heartily. "What a sly, vicious little vixen you are." he purred as he looked down at her.

She smirked back at him. "He may have frightened me, but I'll have the last laugh."

"That you will." The Saiyan Prince agreed. "Now rest little warrior woman. I will not take your prey from you while you sleep. You have my word."

"You better not." she said with a smirk.

Bulma felt her heart swell at one of his few terms of endearment for her and closed her eyes a smile playing on her lips as she drifted asleep surrounded by his warmth and masculine scent.

:8:

Three days later, Bulma was back on her feet and ready to take on the weasel who thought he could take over her company by spreading nasty rumors and compromising photos.

"I just knew that sleaze ball would pull something like this!" she snarled as she slipped on a pair of blood red kitten heels. "I'll show him! How dare he!?"

Vegeta smirked as he walked into their bedroom the sweat dripping from his brow evidence of his early morning workout.

"Your clothes say business but your eyes scream battle. Which is it?" he asked her.

"Battle. Definitely battle." she growled snapping a cuff bangle onto her wrist. "I'll leave him hanging in the tallest tree I can find using the rope he made himself." she growled. Vegeta quickly phased in behind her and laid his lips on her neck his hands gripping her waist. "Vegeta?" she questioned.

"There's something so alluring about that bloodthirsty look in your eye." he purred in her ear tugging the lobe lightly with his teeth before tracing the shell of it with his tongue. "It makes me want to bed you." he whispered roughly cupping her breasts through the button down red blouse she was wearing.

She groaned and leaned back against him hooking her arm behind his neck as she drew his head forward for a heated kiss.

"As much as I would love to work out this tension with you." she drawled skimming a hand over his short clad thigh. "I have a board meeting and a press release to attend today."

"Conducting your strange battle against the swine that attacked you the other day?" he asked sliding his own hand down her waist to her hip where he gripped it lightly and pulled it back against his own.

"Damn right." she replied gasping as she felt the evidence of his arousal.

"You still owe me." he reminded her slipping his hand into the waistband of her slacks. "I believe we agreed that you would repay me for flying you to the hospital with your body."

"And I intend to pay you in full." she whispered hotly in his ear tugging on his earlobe with her teeth. "However it'll have to wait until the media circus is over." she said pulling out of his embrace reluctantly.

He growled in irritation but let her go knowing that she'd resent him if he pulled them both into bed at the present moment. "I'm holding you to that." he drawled. "Will that piece of trash be at these gatherings of yours?" he asked his tone thick with hate and bloodlust.

"No. He shouldn't be anyway." she said slipping a pair of ruby earrings into place. "I've increased security just in case he decides to show his ugly mug."

"If he does I'll kill him." Vegeta vowed. "I don't care if the entire world is watching."

Bulma turned back to look at her lover with his eyes blazing and wrapped her arms around his neck kissing him soundly on the mouth. "That truly and honestly makes me feel safer than knowing that there are more than one hundred armed bodyguards on hand today."

Vegeta blinked in surprise and glanced away. "Tch! A hundred of those puny humans would never stand a chance against me."

"Which is exactly why I feel so much more confident." she said with a smile. "Wish me luck! I'm off."

"You don't need luck. That tongue of yours can bring the strongest warriors to their knees." he said with a smirk.

"You're damn right it can." Bulma said her smile turning into a cocky smirk that had just a touch of wickedness in it. "See you later!"

:8:

Bulma stood in front of the board of directors with a smirk playing on her lips as she presented her own evidence to destroy the claims Stephen was spouting that she'd been a willing participant in is attempt at seduction.

"Are you sure you want to go down this road?" she questioned the board and members of the press as they shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"What about the dark haired man that was spotted strangling Mr. Duncan?" a blonde wearing too much makeup asked. "Was he part of your security detail?"

She frowned and thought for a moment. What could she say? A sudden thought occurred to her and she prayed it would be enough.

"He's a close relative of my recently deceased friend Goku. He's a very private person so I'd appreciate it if you'd respect that about him. I knew he'd planned to visit me that day so when Mr. Duncan attacked me I called out for him hoping that he'd hear me and come to my aid." she lied easily.

The reporter nodded and jotted down a few notes. "Why was this relative of your friend visiting you?" she asked.

"He was visiting me in behalf of Goku who couldn't." she lied again.

"What of the allegations that you're mentally unstable and enticed Mr. Duncan?" A stupid looking brown haired man wearing the most atrocious looking tie she'd ever seen asked with a sneer.

"I wasn't the one attempting to sexually assault a patient in a hospital bed who was recovering from serious injuries." she snapped glaring at the reporter. "There's absolutely nothing in my words or body language that suggest I encouraged him in anyway."

"What about the rumors that Mr. Duncan is the father of your child?" another reporter asked.

"You mean the rumors he started himself to save face?" she asked her blue eyes flashing dangerously. "They're absolutely and completely false." she said. "Anyone with two eyes and a basic understanding of genetics could tell you that. Mr. Duncan has never been alone with me until he assaulted me in my hospital room."

"Are you willing to do a DNA test to prove it?" A lawyer asked.

"No. Neither I nor his father will consent to such a blatant breach of privacy." she replied coldly.

The fact that her son was a half alien hybrid was the other issue. There was no way she was going to submit Trunks to a DNA test knowing the results would be abnormal and put him at an even higher risk of becoming a target for the mad scientists of the world.

"Can we get to the matter at hand?" she said directing the conversation away from her son's parentage. "In addition to the assault charges I've filed against Mr. Duncan I am also filing fraud and theft charges against him. There is evidence that he has embezzled more than ten million dollars from Capsule Corporation over the past year. I plan to make him pay every cent back in full with interest." Several jaws dropped and she smirked. "A word to those of you out there, if you're going to steal money from the company you work for, I'd suggest you do it from a different computer from the one you use daily for your work. Incognito mode doesn't mean anything except that your browsing history isn't displayed. Your employer can see absolutely every site you visit and if they're a certified genius like myself, following electronic transactions is as easy as breathing, even across international servers." She straightened and smiled sweetly at the gaping crowd. "That concludes this press conference. Please have a wonderful rest of the day."

She stepped away from the podium with the help of a body guard and quickly returned to her office.

"Well done sweetie." Dr. Briefs said with a smile as he followed close behind her. "You did exceptionally well even with those nosy questions about Trunks."

"Thanks dad." she said settling into her leather office chair. "I wish they'd just shut up and bug off." she grumbled.

"Why don't you just marry Vegeta?" he suggested. "It doesn't have to be big or fancy. Just do it and hire a photographer to take a few pictures to send to the media outlets and be done with it."

"Don't tempt me." she groaned touching her throbbing temple.

"I'm being completely serious." her father said leaning back in his chair. "What's holding you back from marrying the man?"

Bulma sighed and touched the mark hidden by the high collar of her shirt. "I'm just not sure how to bring it up." she admitted. "Like I said before, he told me that I was his mate not too long ago. According to his Saiyan traditions I am his wife." she blushed and ran a hand through her hair. "Honestly that's more commitment than I ever dreamed I'd get from him. I mean, if I explained to him what it was, he'd probably do it but…" she lowered her head. "I'm afraid of him running off again."

Dr. Briefs cocked a brow at that. "Running? You mean like he did shortly after you conceived Trunks?"

She nodded. "Daddy, that night, I told him that I loved him. That I wanted to be with him forever. When I woke up the next morning he was gone." she rubbed her arm. "Things are going well for us right now. He considers me his mate and spends time with Trunks every day. The last thing I want to do is ruin it by bringing up marriage. I'm content with things as they are now." she looked at her father. "Please don't meddle in this dad, I don't know if I could take it if he left me right now."

"Alright baby." Dr. Briefs said standing up and walking around her desk. "It's just something to think about. No pressure." he said pressing a kiss to her hair. "Hurry home tonight. Bunny is making her famous chicken parmesan to celebrate. I'll even bring out the good stuff to drink with it." he said with a wink.

She smiled back. "Good. I'm sure I'll need it. See you later daddy."

:8:

Stephen Duncan frowned as he swirled his glass of red wine. So the broad had figured out about the missing money and she was planning to charge him with embezzlement? Well he'd show her. He'd make her pay for humiliation she'd dealt him. As soon as the men he hired returned with the blue haired bitch in hand, he'd have his way with her over and over again until he tired of her. Then he'd kill her. Nice and slow. Squeeze that pretty little throat of her until the fire drained from those lovely blue eyes of hers.

There was a knock at the door and he smirked. They'd returned much sooner than he'd anticipated. After all, his remote cabin located deep in the mountains outside of West City wasn't easy to find, then again he'd paid good money for the men. Perhaps he'd give them a tip for being so fast. He quickly strode from the kitchen and through the living room to the massive oak doors of his secluded hide away and tugged on the heavy door.

"You're sooner than expected." he said to one of the men standing on the landing. "Where's the bitch? She wasn't too much trouble was she?" His eyes widened and he took a step back as the man's body fell to the ground blood seeping from his ears, mouth and nose. "What… What is this?" he demanded.

"I told you that I'd kill you if you ever came near my mate again. Did you think hiring men to do your dirty work would spare you from my wrath?" A low rough voice drawled.

Stephen's eyes widened. "You… You're the one from that day in the hospital. Vegeta, the bodyguard who showed up to protect the blue haired bitch." he said taking in the man's appearance.

He didn't look like much wearing a blue tank top and grey shorts. Ok, he had to admit, now that he was wearing less clothing, he could see that the man had some serious muscle but what did he care? Bullets killed everyone, even muscle heads that used way too much hair gel.

His eyes bulged and the air rushed from his lungs as the man's fist slammed into his stomach knocking him through the couch behind him until he smacked the wall and started to slide down the length of it. His stomach ached like a son of bitch and he couldn't breathe. Knowing he was in trouble, Stephen summoned the five remaining hired guns he had stationed inside the house.

"I'll admit, you're strong." Stephen rasped. "But you can't punch a bullet." he said as the men appeared and aimed their guns at the dark haired intruder. "I'll tell you a little something before these guys send you to Hell. Once you're dead, I'm going to fuck that bitch heiress until she can't even walk anymore and then I'm going to kill her, nice and slow. Then I'll go and kill that disgusting purple haired bastard of hers." he raised his hand. "Kill him!" he screamed.

Bullets erupted from the men's guns and Stephen's grin of triumph fell open into a silent scream of horror as none of the bullets found their mark. No, that wasn't quite right. There were holes in his clothes, but no blood. It was like the bullets were bouncing off of him.

"Pathetic." Vegeta drawled raising his hand.

Five bursts of blue light flew from his hand and struck each of the shooters leaving burnt bodies that were half ash in their wake.

"What are you?!" Stephen demanded. Vegeta stalked forward his steps measured yet graceful to where Stephen laid on the ground. "Wait, she must be paying you right? Whatever it is I'll pay you double, no triple! I'll even let you fuck her after I've had my fun. I'm sure after being forced to work for that picky princess you'd lik- AAHH!"

Vegeta's foot slammed down onto his leg and a scream of agony was torn from the business man's throat as his bones shattered beneath the shorter man's incredible strength.

"I'm already 'fucking' her as you so crudely put it." Vegeta said cooly. "It was quite irritating to be pulled from my slumber by those goons of yours pathetic attempt at a kidnapping." he said slamming his foot down onto Stephen's other leg snapping it as well.

"Stop…." Stephen rasped. "I'll give you anything you want. I'll leave and never come back. Just let me go! Don't kill me!"

"Oh I don't think so." Vegeta said lifting the man from the floor. "What you've done his unforgivable and even if it was." the dark haired man's lips turned up into a smirk that had Stephen's blood running cold. "I'm not known for my mercy."

Vegeta tossed him into the air by his neck and leapt up and slammed his foot into his side knocking him into the kitchen.

Stephen gasped and blood flew from his mouth as he slammed into the marble island in the kitchen.

"Stop." Stephen rasped the pain bringing tears to his eyes. "No more. I'll die."

"That's the whole idea." Vegeta replied picking him up by the throat and snapping his arm with a twist from his opposite hand. "Bulma is my woman." he said gripping Stephen's rib cage with his hand and snapping each of the flimsy bones one at a time. "Trunks is my son." Stephen gasped for air as tears streamed down his face as the man switched hands and broke the other half of his ribcage in the same fashion. "You laid your filthy hands on her, frightened her, took advantage of her weakened state." he slammed the businessman to the floor and then put his foot on his hip. "You're not a man, you're a cowardly worm." he growled snapping the man's pelvis with a push of his leg. Stephen screamed and his eyes started to roll back in his head. "Oh no you don't." Vegeta snarled using some of his ki to shock the man back into wakefulness. "You will not close your eyes until you draw your last breath."

"You're… insane." Stephen rasped. "You and that crazy bitch deserve one another."

"I couldn't agree more." Vegeta said breaking the man's scapula with a precision blow of his hand. "Now, let's see how much more you can take before you beg for me to kill you."

:8:

"Vegeta?" Bulma murmured groggily as she felt the sheets shift behind her. "Is that you?"

She felt thick, muscular arms wrap around her waist and warm lips latched onto the nape over her neck over the mark of their mating. His callused hand slipped up the length of her thigh and she shivered as he hiked up her nightgown.

"Vegeta? What is it?" she asked.

Though her lover wasn't terribly vocal outside the battlefield, it was strange that he hadn't said anything at all, particularly while sliding down her panties.

"Vegeta wait!" she squeaked but it was too late.

He flipped her onto her belly, lifted her hips and slammed into her before she had a chance to prepare. She gasped and gripped the sheets in her hands as he pounded in and out of her, his thrusts rougher than normal. A yelp fell from her lips as he leaned forward and latched his teeth onto the back of her neck, holding her in place like an animal in heat trying to tame it's mate. Perhaps he was, how would she know? It's not like she was an expert on Saiyan biology or psychology by any means.

"You are mine!" he growled roughly in her ear as he continued to press into her at his ruthless pace. "Tell me you're mine!" he demanded.

"I'm yours." she rasped the discomfort giving way to pleasure as he filled her over and over again.

"Say my name!" he panted gripping her hips possessively.

"Vegeta!" she gasped.

"Again!" he snapped.

"Vegeta!" she cried her walls starting to twitch around him as she neared her climax.

He came inside her with a shout and she followed soon after collapsing in a heap on the bed.

Bulma turned in his arms and stared in shock at the blood on the Saiyan Prince's face. She reached out and touched the dried liquid.

"Vegeta! What happened to you?" she demanded.

There were few people on this planet that could hurt him, and she knew all of the ones capable of such a thing which meant one of three things. The first, that he'd had a falling out with one or more of the Z Fighters, the second, that some new threat most likely from outer space had appeared, or third, the blood wasn't his.

"I told you." he said gripping her shoulder as he pressed her onto her back into the pillows. "That human trash will never harm you again."

Her eyes widened as her lover's mouth latched onto her breast his hand slipping under her waist to pull her flush against him.

"You killed him." she said her blue eyes wide. "You killed Stephen Duncan."

"So that was his name." Vegeta murmured kissing his way down her abdomen.

"Why?" she asked groaning when his fingers danced over her hip bones.

"I already told you woman." He replied stroking her thighs. "You are my mate. It is my duty to see that your safety and honor are protected." his grip on her legs tightened. "I killed him to preserve both." he yanked her forward by the hips his eyes closing as he breathed in the scent of her sex. "Now it's your duty to reward me, for a challenge won." he licked up the length of her slit and she gasped and then moaned flinging her head back.

"Take whatever you want." Bulma whimpered after all, Saiyan sex was a reward for her as well.

He chuckled. "Good answer." he murmured before sucking on her clit.

"Oh God Vegeta!" she moaned.

"God Vegeta? I like the sound of that." he admitted before attacking her slit with his tongue.

She came minutes later with a high pitched shriek and panted against the sheets her face flushed, her eyes half lidded with pleasure.

Vegeta knelt on the bed and wiped his mouth with a rakish smirk plastered across his lips. "What a lewd expression." he drawled leaning forward until he could capture her lips with his own. "This face," he murmured moments later as he stroked over Bulma's flushed features. "Belongs to me." Bulma cried out as he slammed his already hardened member into her

dripping sheath. "Every part of you." he said as he set his pace. "Down to the very essence of your **soul** is mine."

Her body and heart shuddered at his possessive words and she groaned as he came inside her again.

She lost track of the times he took her. All she knew was that when he was finally finished, for the first time during the course of their relationship, she fell asleep and awakened wrapped in his arms.

 **Author's Note: Apologies again for the** **technical difficulties. Gosh this site is making me hate technology. This is the full version of chapter 5, not the weird cut off one that suddenly appeared. Please enjoy.**


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